It's Official - Syria's Opposition (al Nusra Front) Joins Al Qaeda

Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister)
4/10/13, 5:05 AM
It's official - Jabhat al-Nusra leader Al-Golani has sworn allegiance to Al-Qaeda - in a 7-min audi message posted 15 mins ago - #Syria

Al Qaeda first announced the "merger" yesterday...

BBC News - Syria's al-Nusra Front 'part of al-Qaeda'

The al-Nusra Front is at the forefront of the armed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The leader of the Iraqi wing of al-Qaeda said that al-Nusra is battling for an Islamic state in Syria.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State in Iraq, added that both groups were merging.

He said: "We announce the abolition of the Islamic state of Iraq's name and Jabhat Al-Nusra's name and their amalgamation in one state under one name: The Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant."


[link to www.bbc.co.uk]

Article on Jabat al Nusra from last year. (Most believe it provides extreme undercount)

The Jabhat group now has somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 fighters, according to officials of an non-governmental organization that represents the more moderate wing of the Free Syrian Army (FSA). They say that the al-Qaeda affiliate now accounts for 7.5 percent to 9 percent of the Free Syrian Army's total fighters, up sharply from an estimated 3 percent three months ago and 1 percent at the beginning of the year.

The extremist group is growing in part because it has been the most aggressive and successful arm of the rebel force. "From the reports we get from the doctors, most of the injured and dead FSA are Jabhat al-Nusra, due to their courage and [the fact they are] always at the front line," said a message sent today to the State Department by the moderate Free Syrian Army representatives, warning of the extremists' rise.

These estimates are very rough, given the scattered and disorganized nature of the opposition. But they are based on detailed reporting from the field by the members' military councils, which are the closest thing to an organized command structure among the rebels. In reports sent this week to the State Department, the NGO representing the Syrian moderates offered a detailed breakdown of the extremists' growth:

* In Aleppo, the Jabhat force is reckoned at around 2,000, mostly in the Al-Bab area northeast of the city. This estimate is based partly on reports from a doctor in the area who has treated injured fighters. The total FSA presence in the Aleppo area is about 15,000.

* In Idlib province, west of Aleppo, Jabhat's ranks number 2,500 to 3,000, or about 10 percent of the total number of FSA fighters there.

[link to www.washingtonpost.com]

BBC Breaking News -Syria crisis: Al-Nusra pledges allegiance to al-Qaeda

The leader of the al-Nusra Front, a jihadist group fighting in Syria, has pledged allegiance to the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The announcement by Abu Mohammed al-Jawalani comes a day after al-Qaeda in Iraq said it had merged with al-Nusra.

[link to www.bbc.co.uk]

Western supported Syrian political group reacts to announcement -

The Damascus-based oppositional National Coordination Body (NCB) on Wednesday dismissed the merger of al-Qaida’s Iraqi branch and a Syrian rebel movement.

“It will not succeed … They will not find a supportive environment in Syria and will eventually have to pull out,” NCB head Hasan Abdul-Azim told Xinhua.

He was responding to Tuesday’s announcement by the Islamic State in Iraq that it had joined ranks with al-Nusra Front, a jihadist group bent on toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.


[link to www.nzweek.com]

What were they supposed to say? Great news...

Who didn't know this already? They are just making it public and known for some reason.... hrm


Soon they will announce that the "resistance" in Libya was also Al-CIAda

You're absolutely right. They are just publicly announcing what anyone who was paying attention already knew...

You also asked the right question - why are they making it public now?

Is its related to the other big MENA story today???

Qatar has just made Egypt it's de facto protectorate -

Bassem Sabry (@Bassem_Sabry)
4/10/13, 7:02 AM
In addition to the new $3bn in assistance today, Qatar has announced that Egyptian companies will be exempt from its local guarantor system


Bassem Sabry (@Bassem_Sabry)
4/10/13, 7:08 AM
Qatar has effectively annexed Egypt as of this morning.

Here's an alt-new site report on Al Nusra Front & CIA Arms

CONFIRMED: US Shipping Weapons to Syria – Al Nusra’s “Mystery” Sponsors Revealed

[link to EndtheLie.com]

Hey Darby, we needed a Syria thread, thanks.

Aaron Y. Zelin (@azelin)
4/10/13, 8:11 AM
.@nbenotman's sources say the Islamic State of Iraq & al-Sham announcement was Zawhiri's decision (link). I got it right

Aaron Zelin works for DC Think-Tank which is closely associated w/ AIPAC. IMO - He seems self-satisfied this morning.

From the link - [link to www.quilliamfoundation.org]

On Sunday 7 April 2013, just days before the creation of the new Al-Qaeda entity, “Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham”, a group associated with Al-Qaeda posted an online video. The footage shows Al- Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, addressing the global Jihadist community, insisting that the unity of the "Muslim nation" and the "establishment of a Caliphate" is a religious duty.

In the video, Al-Zawahiri focuses specifically on Syria, encouraging Syrian rebels to unite with one another and warning them against international and regional conspiracy. Al-Zawahiri also insists that Syrian rebel forces must ensure that their “Jihad” brings about an "Islamic state" in the country as the first step in the establishment of this global Caliphate.

Regarding the unity of Muslims, Al-Zawahiri states in his address that “the fragmentation of Muslims is the main reason for our defeat and backwardness”. He claims that the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings is a prime opportunity for the "Muslim nation" that must not be wasted.

Syria crisis 'top of agenda' at G8 ministers' meeting
[link to www.bbc.co.uk]

The United States and Jordan have stepped up training of Syrian opposition forces that may be used to create a buffer zone along Syria's southern border
[link to www.ansamed.info]

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman proposed formation of buffer zones in Syria at a meeting with Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces
[link to vestnikkavkaza.net]

Good morning IFUN - or I guess good afternoon!

Thread: The Battle for Syria

Has Assad made a statement about this? A big fat - I told you so? I haven't seen anything - but I only read English-language press...

Morning, hope you're well.

I'm great. Big promotion at work - so I haven't been on-line as much.

Speaking of which...back to the grindstone

Statement about what? Has Obama made a statement about NK?

That's great, congratulations, all the best.

Sorry - Statement about the fact that the main opposition group in Syria has just officially (publicly) sworn allegiance to al Qaeda...

He's been calling them Al Qaeda for the last 2 years - but this is first time they've publicly admitted it...

Good, this should cause an increase in determination within the SAA and solidify their resolve in purging the terrorist scumbags from Syria.

Thank you... I'll have subordinates (7 of them) and an office w/ a door - YIKES

Nope. I haven't seen any form Assad lately.

Nusra Front leader denies merger with Iraqi jihadists

[link to www.timesofisrael.com]

Old news (more than 3 hours ago) he released audio message confirming alliance 3 hours ago. It hit western media an hour ago.

The audio is a little confusing though -.

1.- Jawlani says JN leadership only learned about AQI statement from the media. He refers to it as "if it is authentic..."

2.- Jawlani does, however, explicitly swear (literally: "repeat") allegiance (bai'a) to Ayman al-Zawahiri. He does it in the name of all JN members. - This means that, despite of whatever differences there may remain between AQI nd JN leaderships, JN does consider itself part of th AQ universe.

Lol, that's funny.

How's this for funny...

The French are splitting the difference...

Agence France-Presse - Al-Nusra commits to Al-Qaeda, cool on Iraq branch 'merger'

[link to www.globalpost.com]

What??? That's looking for the bright side - they admitted they are al Qaeda but they won't be merging w/ that Iraqi al qaeda

Washington Post - Syrian militant group for first time vows allegiance to al-Qaida and its leader

The leader of a militant group fighting on the side of Syria’s rebels has for the first time pledged allegiance to al-Qaida and the terror network’s No. 1, Ayman al-Zawahri.

In an audio message Wednesday, Abu Mohammad al-Golani also confirms ties with al-Qaida’s Iraq branch but says that he wasn’t consulted ahead of an announcement on the two groups’ merger.

[link to www.washingtonpost.com]

Good point, never considered that before. I'll have a go though. The UN are waiting to go in and investigate the chemical weapon claims. We already know that the 'rebels' have used CW and the regime has probably used something too. This 'new information' could be to build a clear barrier in the public psyche between the 'Syrian rebels' and the 'bad guys' who've hijacked their cause. CW use confirmed by both sides, but it was only the 'bad' rebels, not the good ones. Gives them another angle to push for direct intervention and helps obfuscate the fact that the US and UK have been and continue to support terrorists operating to bring down a government.

Al Arabiya (Saudi Royal Family Owned) Report

Syria’s Nusra refutes Qaeda merger but pledges support

The head of Syria's jihadist al-Nusra Front on Wednesday pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in an audio message, but distanced his group from claims it had merged with al-Qaeda in Iraq.

“The sons of al-Nusra Front pledge allegiance to Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri,” Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani said in the recording.

But, he added, “we were not consulted” on an announcement by al-Qaeda in Iraq chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Tuesday of a merger with al-Nusra Front.

[link to english.alarabiya.net]