Posted on 12/27/2017 7:27:06 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Syria: Deadly feud rips through Al Qaeda's leadership as terrorist group takes more 'moderate' line
A deadly feud is ripping through Al Qaeda's leadership in Syria as the once-feared terror group looks to position itself as a "moderate" alternative to the disintegrating so-called Islamic State and President Bashar Al-Assad's regime forces
A group of Al Qaeda-linked factions that hold the province of Idlib are on the brink of all-out war, with a series of assassinations and detentions of high-profile leaders.
The bloody feud pits hardline foreign fighters loyal to Al Qaeda's leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, against more moderate Syrian members loyal to Hay'at Tahrir al Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani.
These fault lines within Al Qaeda date back to the early years of the Syrian conflict when Al Qaeda first emerged in the form of Jabhat al Nusra or the Nusra Front.
In 2013, the groups most extreme elements broke away to form the core of Islamic State, or ISIS.
The Nusra Front has since formed and broken alliances, merged and clashed with other extremist groups and twice changed its name.
It is now the main force behind HTS, which had been on the ascendant until recently, but the group's current relationship with Al Qaeda is murky.
Trouble brews in Idlib
Idlib province is home to thousands of fighters, locals civilians and tens of thousands of displaced families who have fled the fighting elsewhere.
Tensions among Islamic fighters that control the province are at breaking point following a series of assassinations and detentions of high-profile Al Qaeda members over the past month.
Several of HTS's most high-ranking leaders have been assassinated under mysterious circumstances.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc.net.au ...
Nothing like a good game of “let’s you and him fight”-—especially when both of ‘em are Muzzies.
The more Mohammedans that kill each other, the fewer that are trying to kill us.
A more loving and caring bloody Islamic jihad...
More fake ‘moderate’ terrorists.
Why is Ayman al-Zawahri still breathing?
Moderate Terrorists = They only blow you up a little bit.
After living in Israel, whenever Arabs get in trouble with the Media Story, they do a Moderate Fake for a couple years.
Back in 1998, after Clinton did his “Peace Plan”, I got a call from a pollster asking if I thought things were changing.
It shocked him when I said it wouldn’t last.
Three years later...911
McCain must be sending a few more billion to his jihadi buddies over there
A great time to sow maximum disinformation among them, make them all ever more suspicious of each other.
Watch ‘em kill each other off....
Al-Qaeda versus ISIS: Competing Jihadist Brands in the Middle East By Charles Lister
Key Findings
A number of al-Qaeda affiliates have re-named and re-branded in order to better embed themselves in local conflicts.
In addition to territorial losses, ISIS has lost credibility with the local population due to its brutal style of governance.
While al-Qaeda is better situated locally, ISIS remains more popular with the younger generation of jihadists.
The underlying causes of both movements are regional instability, the secular nature of regional conflict, and increasing globalization specifically with regards to weakened borders and increased internet use.
Competition between both groups for “Jihadist supremacy” has divided international attention and prevented either from being eliminated.
https://www.mei.edu/sites/default/files/publications/PP3_Lister_CTQaeda_0.pdf
I heard some Chechens are high ranking figures in these groups. Those guys are probably double agents of Mother Russia.
Yes, but the problem they have is that after a few years as an infiltrator they are in some cases changing their loyalty, it is extremely difficult to live that type of split life.
This is an interesting paper about the Okhrana and the Cheka:
https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=ohiou1398772391
Some things never change
Have at it fellows. Remember the guy next to you is a secret agent working for the other side.
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