Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with ISIS in Syria, Iraq

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Beirut, Lebanon- Al-Qaeda formally dissociated itself with the extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Monday, sealing a rift with the most radical group fighting in both countries that has exposed the shrinking influence of the al-Qaeda leadership over a new generation of emerging radicals.

The repudiation came after the failure of repeated efforts by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to heal a dispute between ISIS and another group, Jabhat al-Nusra, that has erupted in fighting in parts of rebel-held northern Syria.

In a statement posted on jihadi forums, al-Qaeda’s General Command said that ISIS “is not a branch of the al-Qaeda group . . . does not have an organizational relationship with it and is not the group responsible for their actions.”

The rejection leaves Jabhat al-Nusra, which is widely regarded as more moderate than the hardline ISIS, as al-Qaeda’s officially anointed affiliate in Syria, where a multitude of armed groups are battling to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and also, in some places, one another.

It also means that al-Qaeda no longer has a representative in Iraq, where ISIS originated and where it poses a significant challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s control over the country.

The statement suggested the notorious intractability of ISIS, the most extreme of the Islamist groups fighting in Syria, was to blame for the break. It cited the importance of consultation and teamwork, qualities that ISIS has ignored in its aggressive expansion across northern Syria since it announced its formation in the country last April.

“Clearly Zawahiri believes that ISIS is a liability to the al-Qaeda brand,” said Aaron Zelin, who tracks jihadi movements at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy. “They are not playing nice with other groups and they are acting as a sovereign state, aggravating other rebels and hurting the effort against the regime.”

The group’s brutal tactics, including beheadings, floggings and bans on smoking, music and other perceived un-Islamic behaviors have incurred the wrath of many ordinary Syrians, culminating a month ago in a widespread revolt against ISIS across northern Syria in which the al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra has fought ISIS alongside more moderate rebels.

But ISIS has fought back, and has managed to retain control of the northeastern province of Raqqa and significant portions of rural Aleppo, putting it in control of much of the area’s resources including its oil fields that help it to operate independently of the al-Qaeda leadership, said Aymenn al-Tamimi, who monitors jihadi activity in Iraq and Syria with the Middle East Forum.

Although Jabhat al-Nusra is now the sole al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, it is ISIS that is more aggressively pursuing the al-Qaeda agenda of establishing an Islamic caliphate, setting up the institutions of state that enable it to administer the areas it controls, he said.

“It’s ISIS who is actually building the caliphate,” he said. “Al-Qaeda central doesn’t control territory in the manner ISIS does.”

This is the first time al-Qaeda has formally severed ties with one of its affiliates, and it points to the extent to which the global jihadi movement has evolved in recent years, spawning multiple new groups across the region in the wake of the Arab uprisings, Zelin said.

“You have this wide tapestry of jihadi groups now, like a spiders web,” he said. “All of these groups have the same ideology, they’re part of the jihadi framework, but they might have different focuses.”

Washington Post

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23 responses to “Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with ISIS in Syria, Iraq”

  1. Reasonableman Avatar
    Reasonableman

    What on earth is a jihadi group??
    Who is alqaedas general command supposed to be??
    How can we verify this information??

    Very poorly written, as much as I would like to believe it.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      TAQIYAHhhhhhhhh ….. ??? 😉
      What IS real ?

      1. Reasonableman Avatar
        Reasonableman

        I thought it was pretty cute…. AQ are joining the majority? Maybe a step closer to democracy lol

        1. Your a good man reasonable, however I just seriously can’t believe you take wargame seriously bro.

          1. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            Hhhmm, you dont have to believe everything he says he is entitled to his views as we are ours.
            My point was not for nameema against anybody on this page. I was just highlighting that I agree with him when it comes to who is benefiting from this war.
            We all agree and disagree on things, thats human nature and how we grow “mentally”.

          2. Ok, now forgot about all this politics BS for now. On the weekend I had Jasmins. And I’m still paying for the Garlic I had. And tonight my wife is making me beans, meat and rice with you guessed it, GARLIC. I work in retail bro, God help the customers I have to deal with. I better stock up on the extra. lol

          3. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            Lek eh sa7nen ma3 baselten 🙂
            LMAO that much garlic pretty severe bro, the garlic smell comes from the stomache not from the mouth but I guess extra does help. Personally you havnt eaten till you have a camel burger from “dougies”

          4. Already tried it bro, Taste nice, however the thought of eating camel. I find it hard.

          5. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            What do you sell??

          6. I own 2 tobacco and gift shops down the south coast. And you ?

          7. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            Bizzo going good with the high tax on tobacco?what is it 25 or 28 $ a pack? Al7amdulilah I havnt smoked for about 4 years now.
            I work as a customs and border security officer at sydney international airport been there for nearly 2 years now

          8. Which bizzo you speaking off. Lol. Bro people are still going to smoke irrespective of how much the price goes up. I actually have noticed that people are smoking more in the last 3 months. This is good for me and bad for the hospital’s.

          9. Which bizzo you speaking off. Lol. Bro people are still going to smoke irrespective of how much the price goes up. I actually have noticed that people are smoking more in the last 3 months. This is good for me and bad for the hospital’s.

          10. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            What do you sell??

          11. 5thDrawer Avatar

            When it drips from the pits your fellow workers will flee ….

          12. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            My employees are trained not to smell 🙂
            Interesting I just thought that strong southerly wind was the only side effect.

          13. Ok, now forgot about all this politics BS for now. On the weekend I had Jasmins. And I’m still paying for the Garlic I had. And tonight my wife is making me beans, meat and rice with you guessed it, GARLIC. I work in retail bro, God help the customers I have to deal with. I better stock up on the extra. lol

          14. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            Lek eh sa7nen ma3 baselten 🙂
            LMAO that much garlic pretty severe bro, the garlic smell comes from the stomache not from the mouth but I guess extra does help. Personally you havnt eaten till you have a camel burger from “dougies”

          15. 5thDrawer Avatar

            When it drips from the pits your fellow workers will flee ….

          16. Reasonableman Avatar
            Reasonableman

            My employees are trained not to smell 🙂
            Interesting I just thought that strong southerly wind was the only side effect.

  2. Reasonableman Avatar
    Reasonableman

    What on earth is a jihadi group??
    Who is alqaedas general command supposed to be??
    How can we verify this information??

    Very poorly written, as much as I would like to believe it.

  3. MekensehParty Avatar
    MekensehParty

    So a piece of shit walks into another piece of shit and tells it it stinks…

  4. nagy_michael2 Avatar
    nagy_michael2

    I really wish they truly disvow Iran and Syria also.. because this group has not condemned much all the horrors of the Syrian regime and it kinda makes you wander why aren’t they doing it..

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