Syria Rebels Distance Themselves from Qaida Iraq Ally
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The mainstream Syrian rebel command distanced itself from the jihadist al-Nusra Front on Tuesday after al-Qaida in neighboring Iraq confirmed that it spawned and supervised the group.
The Free Syrian Army insisted that alliances it has struck with al-Nusra fighters on the ground were only tactical, local and time-limited, as al-Qaida openly admitted the Iraq links of one of the spearheads of the armed uprising against the Damascus regime.
"We don't support the ideology of al-Nusra," FSA spokesman Louay Meqdad told Agence France Presse.
"There has never been and there will never be a decision at the command level to coordinate with al-Nusra. The situation on the ground is what has imposed this."
Washington already blacklisted al-Nusra as a terrorist organisation earlier this year citing its close links to Al-Qaeda fighters who led the insurgency against U.S. forces in Iraq before their withdrawal last year.
But the head of al-Qaida's front group in Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, confirmed on Tuesday that al-Nusra was its creation and that its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani was "one of our soldiers".
"It is time to declare to the Levant and to the world that the al-Nusra Front is simply a branch of the Islamic State of Iraq," Baghdadi said in an audio message posted on jihadist forums.
He said the groups would merge under the banner of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
Some Syrian rebel commanders have acknowledged discomfort at al-Nusra's jihadist ideology, its resort to suicide bombings against civilians and its use of foreign recruits.
But the group has also won respect as a disciplined and effective fighting force in the battle to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime, winning key territory from his troops.
"Al-Nusra exists, it is financed and it is armed. That's why certain brigades of the FSA cooperate with them on certain operations on the ground," the mainstream rebel spokesman said.
"It's a tactical and time-limited cooperation... Al-Nusra is not attached to the FSA," Meqdad added.
Al-Nusra has said it is seeking an Islamic state in Syria after Assad's overthrow, but Meqdad insisted: "No one has the right to impose on Syrians what shape their state will take.
"Syrians will go to the polls to choose their leaders," he said. "Our goal is clear -- to bring down the regime and establish a democratic state."
09 April 2013, 18:18
15
A fighting force like that costs a fortune operate... Who's financing that?? :/ u can't hide something like that. If the west really wanted to stop it, y not just follow the money trail??
09 April 2013, 23:21
02
No of course I totally get that... But I mean al Qaida as a whole, on a larger scale. They've been fighting in Iraq for 10yrs. We know generally how expensive hizballah is to maintain, but we know who pays for it and for what reason.
I'm assuming its Saudi, and Qatar to a lesser extent. I mean I know the answers to my questions, they're mostly rhetorical I guess. But it's just so weird, everybody talks about these animals and how they deserve blah blah, but no one ever asks how do they get the money to at the very least feed the fighters for ten years, not to mention weapons n training n logistics n so on. It's just so shady.
I imagine suicide bombers r expensive to produce.
09 April 2013, 18:18
63
Syrians will go to the polls to choose their leaders," he said. "Our goal is clear -- to bring down the regime and establish a democratic state."
that's the reality and not the big bad wolf is coming to eat us and we need assad protection because he is the lessor of two evils. NO! will not accept the lessor of two evils. will not accept any evil. end of story!
09 April 2013, 18:41
55
Then go and to Syria and wage your "jihad against kuffar and infidels" there and leave the rest of Lebanon to live in peace. We have had enough of you jihadist terrorist types.
09 April 2013, 19:43
54
Karim-really? what about me says I’m a jihadist genius?
Tex- no doubt there is doubt (ha) but you can't accept the current situation and not fight to move the needle in the right direction. One revolution does not mean that’s the end all be all. There will be more revolutions to come.
09 April 2013, 20:12
03
if you really consider yourself Lebanese, then it is none of your buisness what is happening in Syria. It's Syrian affairs nothing to do with Lebanon. I consider all lebanese going overthere to wage Jihad, they should never be able to return.
09 April 2013, 20:22
44
True Tony but before someone can say "if you really consider yourself Lebanese, then it is none of your business what is happening in Syria" one must say it's none of Syria’s business what is happening in Lebanon. When have we been ever able to say that? The fact of the matter is, as long as the assads are in power we are never going to be able to say that. Now for your point about jihadists fighting there. 100% whole heartedly agree. We cannot get involved in the fighting but we can offer our support to the revolution (not al nursa).
09 April 2013, 20:29
13
It is naive to help any part in that conflict, it will only drag Lebanon into a new Civil war, look at the bloodbath in Syria. You want this to happen here in Leb??
09 April 2013, 20:36
33
are you saying by jumblat, salam and harriri voicing their support to the syrian people Lebanon will go into a civil war? SMH.
ok I have made way too many comments for the day. I am done! have a good day everyone.
09 April 2013, 18:40
65
LOL, too late FSA-Al Qaeda. Your mask of terrorism has already fallen!
09 April 2013, 18:55
94
FSA is al Nusra and Nusra is the FSA. They are the exact same thing driven by the same level of hate and sharing the exact same ideology - one of terrorism, the slaughter of unarmed civilians, and the viral spread of Wahabism.
09 April 2013, 19:32
45
Bachar killed Hariri, Gemayel Jr, Tueni, and many other known or unknown people.
He MUST go. La fin justifie les moyens in this case. FSA is legit, Nusra, Ansar, Qaïda aren't. Stop the revolution now? After so many students, women, kids, unarmed men were slaughtered to make an example!? NO NO NO! It's unacceptable.
09 April 2013, 20:48
24
Ouvrez vos yeux, vous allez commencer une guerre ici. It is none of our buisness. It is Syria not Lebanon.
09 April 2013, 20:53
14
You talk about the past, think about the future. I don't want to experience civil war here in Leb, because we stuck our noses inside Syria.
09 April 2013, 21:23
42
does anybody have aproof about your accusations
Anybody can say anything they want
If you don't have a proof shut up
09 April 2013, 22:01
41
"(the hypothesis that bashar killed hariri and co, THUS, he must go) that are so far, based on nothing but assumptions."
aoun said so... so i guess he speaks on assumptions and you follow someone basing his speeches on it lol!
09 April 2013, 22:25
33
"if bashar should leave syria, it should be for crimes he committed in syria, not lebanon. "
no it is called justice for the thousands of lebanese killed by him and his father, got it ya syrian bootlicker?
09 April 2013, 20:04
42
true but time and place. they cannot fight two wars at once all the while receiving no arms to fight with. They wouldn't last a month!
09 April 2013, 20:22
33
Like it or not. Hezbollah is part of our government, and i'm not their biggest fan, but i respect Lebanese law. I rather choose them over Al Qaeda anytime. Back in the 2008 conflict in Beirut, i was suprised the Hezbollah didn't take over Lebanon, they could have just made Lebanon an Islamic Republic but they didn't. AL Qaeda wants Islamic Khalifah in Nothern Lebanon, what about Hezbollah in Al Janoub? They never declared it Islamic state.
09 April 2013, 20:31
43
you too! seriously? first phoenix and now you! IT IS NOT EITHER HA OR AN AL QAEDA!!!! THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS! I am not going to continue arguing with you guys on that point. for Christ sakes open your eyes and free your mind.
09 April 2013, 21:33
22
Alliancw between bashar and fsa is the funniest thing I've read all day. You ahould write novels ;-)
10 April 2013, 01:03
42
You. Makes us laugh everyday FT!!! Only Weak minded and mentally unstable people get offended by your opinions although we share a completely different vision for Lebanon !
10 April 2013, 00:15
54
If a president must be toppled for killings/crimes committed abroad and away from his own land, then every USA president past and current needs to be judged and executed for the many assassinations the cia have undertaken. Simple fact is that its political maneuvering.
10 April 2013, 00:46
31
The winners write history the middle east is losing currently. Usa will do as they please
10 April 2013, 01:45
52
distructive:بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Yajeb 3alayka al indimam ila al ka3ida li2anna ta3likaka you7i intima2aka li moujahedina al awfiya2 al kiram !
10 April 2013, 03:19
22
Nuke the entire mideast.... no more iranian prob, no more israeli prob, no more palestinian prob, no more san sepulcro/qaba/god knows what shrine to worship..... y basta. The world would be much safer without Arabs, israelis, Farsis....
10 April 2013, 03:55
41
What the hell are talking about? The main problem in the ME is the fanatical uprising sponsored by KSA & its GCC friends , get rid of them and you will have solved 89% of the ME problems. No need to nuke the whole ME issue man .. Just these fanatics !!
10 April 2013, 05:20
32
Assad's Syria committed all sort of crimes against Lebanon, its people and its leaders. Nusra's Syria will not be better either. No to both and yes to a Democratic Syria that is just to its people and to its neighbors. As Lebanese we can not do much to affect the outcome in Syria and neither should we. But we can and must do a lot by closing ranks, strengthening our army and State instituions, dissolvve parties with foreign agendas and allegiances, and demarcate/guard the borders.
