Changed circumstances, such as isiss rise to preeminence within the global jihad. One group, declaring itself the islamic state of iraq and syria isis, effectively controlled much. September 2012 elizabeth obagy middle east security. A civil war in neighboring syria, which left nearly two hundred thousand dead by the end of 2014, created its own political void that was eagerly filled by islamist terrorists.
In syria, alqaedas wing, jabhat alnusra, plays a leading role in a new rebel coalition that has captured key areas in the northwestern part of the country. Alqaeda happily let the majority of western and middle eastern states counterterrorism and counterinsurgency resources target isis. And now it seems little more than time stands between now and the day americans will no longer be able to look at a fluffy cotton ball without remembering some tragedy. Alqaeda, the islamic state and the evolution of an insurgency oxford. In september 2014, al qaeda central aqc launched its latest regional affiliate, al qaeda in the indian subcontinent aqis, building on the already existing affiliates such as al qaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap or jabhat al nusra jan in syria. In syria, car bomb kills scores in area recaptured from islamic state instead it is the extremists who have closed ranks and turned against the u. Bibliography alqaeda and its affiliated organizations universiteit. Response congressional research service humanitarian situation. The postcaliphate terror threat in europeand the need for. How us allies aid al qaeda in syria consortiumnews. Militant leader talks about break with al qaeda and possible. Al qaeda 1 al qaeda al qaeda remains the most notorious islamic terrorist group in existence today. He seemed to clear the way this month for qaeda figures to use the groups syrian affiliate, the nusra. Dec 18, 2017 today, warnings of a major al qaida threat emanating from syria continue to be repeated, with u.
Al qaeda and the threat in syria fdds long war journal. Al qaeda isis function as usnato ground forces in syria iraqregime change du jour. Sep 10, 20 al qaeda and associated groups have consistently pursued this goal in jihadist hotspots around the globe and this is especially true in syria today. Al nusra front, also known as jabhat al nusra in arabic, was created in 2011, after militant leader abu bakr al baghdadi sent golani, a top deputy in iraq, to open a branch in syria. The people in those camps are really in a state of panic, says priyanka motaparthy, a. Al qaeda turns to syria, with a plan to challenge isis.
Alqaeda, the islamic state and the evolution of an insurgency, was. The nusra front in syria has been the most successful test of this al qaeda. An update ng perception is trumpeted by the syrian government, which casts itself as the last rampart in the fight against al qa eda and its brand of violent international terrorism. Key takeaways however, the threat has diversified, and. How alqaeda survived drones, uprisings,and the islamic state. The postcaliphate terror threat in europeand the need. Aug 23, 2016 fighters from al qaedas syrian affiliate, jabhat alnusra, fly islamist flags in aleppo, syria, as they head to a front line, may 26, 2015. The territory in the middle east that al qaeda covets most is of course saudi arabia, but syria is next on the list. Sana dispatches april 2014 foreign jihadism in syria. Over the past six months, the tahrir institute for middle east policy has sponsored this integral working group of. It does base a lot of its information on the son of an al qaeda leader who defected to help the cia, and that reliance on one source made me wonder if he was totally reliable.
After capturing large swaths of iraq and syria in 2014. Al qaedaisis function as usnato ground forces in syriairaqregime change du jour. Legal memorandum the case law concerning the 2001 authorization for use of military force and its application to isis charles d. Al qaeda in syria may regroup after the release of abu musab al suri, the mufti of murder abu musab al suri, one of al qaedas foremost strategists, was recently released from an aleppo prison. Among the materials are approximately 79,000 audio and image files and more than 10,000 video files, which include al qaeda home videos, draft videos or.
Of course, there are the occasional building demolition, occasional major building demolition, and nottoomany. September 2012 elizabeth obagy middle east security report 6. The attached manual was located by the manchester england. Jun 04, 2015 in syria, alqaedas wing, jabhat alnusra, plays a leading role in a new rebel coalition that has captured key areas in the northwestern part of the country. Jun 21, 20 then supplied weapons to alqaeda in syria and alqaeda in mali, in collusion with the obama administration. Newly released bin laden document describes iran, al qaeda. Al qaeda and the islamic state vis avis territorial issues for the sake of the argument, it is essential to note that the creation of an islamic state caliphate for the ummah based on islamic.
Pdf terror, territory and statehood from al qaeda to the. The islamic state of iraq and alsham smallcalibre ammunition in libya. Between war and terrorism 363 francois gere 16 the united states confronting terrorism 398 arnaud blin 17 terrorism in southeast asiathreat and response 420 rohan gunaratna bibliography 435 contributors 445 index 447. In the years since it orchestrated the devastating september 11, 2001 attacks on the world trade center and the pentagon, its former leader, osama bin laden, and its current chief, ayman al zawahiri, have become internationally recog. On july 28, 2016, abu muhammad aljulani, the emir of one of alqaedas most powerful branchesjabhat alnusra, based in syriaheld. The al qaeda manual the attached manual was located by the manchester england metropolitan police during a search of an al qaeda members home. Two reasons likely explain why the group is shifting toward international terrorism. May 16, 2016 the qaeda leader ayman alzawahri in a 2011 image provided by the site intelligence group.
Ankara says it favors the creation of a safe zone for refugees in northern syria, but until that can happen, turkey s new policy has essentially trapped tens of thousands in a war zone. But pr aside, the assumption was that the group would continue to do alqaeda leader ayman alzawahiris bidding behind the scenes, and alqaeda would gain a base in syria if hts was successful in the longterm. Two known al qaeda affiliates operate inside syria. Bashar al assad who is directly responsible for creating the conditions that are empowering al qaeda in syria, as the policies pursued by his government are creating the sociopolitical conditions for extremism to thrive. The syrian civil war united states institute of peace. Now, syria is not syria to jihadis, but part of bilaad alshaam, what the. Indeed, following its creation in the mountains of peshawar by osama bin laden in 1988, al qaeda, the base in. One vice filmmaker managed to secure unprecedented access to both alqaeda factions battling syrias government forces, despite the risk of journalists being kidnapped. In september 2014, alqaeda central aqc launched its latest regional affiliate, alqaeda in the indian subcontinent aqis, building on the already existing affiliates such as alqaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim, alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap or jabhat alnusra jan in syria. For the islamic state, albab is a tax base and was the final center of operations for its then spokesman, abu muhammad aladnani, who was. It does base a lot of its information on the son of an al qaeda leader who defected to help the cia, and that reliance on one source made me wonder if. Congressional research service summary armed conflict in syria. The combating alqaeda in syria strategy group was formed in july 2016 by nicholas a. Introduction in early 2011, revolutions in egypt, tunisi a, libya and yemen heralded a new era of arab politics.
Al qaeda and associated groups have consistently pursued this goal in jihadist hotspots around the globe and this is especially true in syria today. Isis governance in syria institute for the study of war. Ambassador chris stevens and three other americans, by obamas alqaeda allies. The manual was found in a computer file described as the military series related to the declaration of jihad. Al qaeda is a global militant islamist organization that started in between august 1988 and late 1989. Alqaeda and other terrorist groups remain active in syria and. Such was the intricacy of some of alqaedas plans in the previous. Al qaeda turns to syria, with a plan to challenge isis the. Alnusra front, also known as jabhat alnusra in arabic, was created in 2011, after militant leader abu bakr al baghdadi sent golani, a top deputy in iraq, to open a branch in syria. At the time of writing, isis controls a wide swath of territory in iraq and syria, as large as the united kingdom, with a population estimated at roughly between six million and nine million people. Isis is primarily known for a series of videos showing beheadings of soldiers, civilians, journalists, and aid workers. Alqaeda, the islamic state and the evolution of an. An update ng usually after a proess of referral y friends of friends. There appears to be a strong correlation between territorial losses inflicted on the islamic state by an international coalition and the groups increasingly global campaign of terrorism.
Isis in syria was partly the result of a deliberate strategy by president bashar. Jabhat alnusra jn, alqaedas aq affiliate in syria, has also developed into a serious and expanding threat both to the west. On july 28, 2016, abu muhammad aljulani, the emir of one of alqaedas. It eventually disobeyed orders from al qaeda, which led to a break between the two groups in february 2014 after an eightmonth power struggle. Backgrounder the threat of new alqaeda leadership the case of syrias aljoulani une 30 2015 may furthermore offer zawahiri new opportunities for pursuing alqaedas objectives beyond the specific theater in which they currently operate. Qaeda still maintains a foothold in syria through its ties to hayat tahrir al sham formerly known as the nusra front, though the exact nature of that relationship may be evolving. We have already seen the result in libya, which has undergone a legal coup detat since the assassination of u. The case law concerning the 2001 authorization for use of. Al qaeda has claimed raqqa as their worldwide capital.
Response since its start in 2011, the syria conflict has presented significant policy challenges for the united states. Policy department, directorate general for external policies. Syria, and this forced isi to form a group in syria. The territory in the middle east that alqaeda covets most is of course saudi arabia, but syria is next on the list. When isis and alqaeda split in february 2014, julani pledged allegiance to alqaeda central. The first is a topdown decision by islamic state leaders to prioritize international attack plotting.
Isis stands for the islamic state of iraq and syria or islamic state of iraq and alsham. The nusra front jabhat annurah liahl ashsham was, therefore, established under the leadership. Fighters from al qaedas syrian affiliate, jabhat alnusra, fly islamist flags in aleppo, syria, as they head to a front line, may 26, 2015. This report examines the threat posed by al qaeda affiliates in the middle east and africa as described. Russias policy on syria after the start of military engagement. It would remain in control, but its local franchise would get even stronger. Difference between isis and al qaeda isis vs al qaeda. The people in those camps are really in a state of panic, says priyanka motaparthy, a researcher at human rights watch. The qaeda leader ayman alzawahri in a 2011 image provided by the site intelligence group. Heras, the bacevich fellow at the center for a new american security.
English translation available by gohas nail, advice and thanks. One of al qaedas most important talking points is the legacy of the sykespicot agreement between the british and the french in 1916 that created this border between what we today call syria. Quietly, alqaeda offshoots expand in yemen and syria. Russias policy on syria after the start of military.
As of 2020, roughly half of syrias prewar population remains internally displaced. Jabhat al nusrah al nusrah front and the islamic state of iraq and the sham or levant. Benghazi cia annex and gunrunning to alqaedadominated. Protesters, often with women in the lead, took to the streets demanding greater dignity, opportunity and politi cal.
The base, the foundation, alternatively spelled alqaida and alqaida is a transnational extremist salafist militant organization founded in 1988 by osama bin laden, abdullah azzam, and several other arab volunteers during the sovietafghan war. Today in syria countless young men are learning improvisations, such as the use of guncotton, which looks like normal cotton. Syrian islamic council, and, to some extent, in the nusra front, the alqaeda. Syria is the fulcrum on which future events in the broader middle east will turn. Qaeda, differing insofar as it managed to anchor itself territorially. Al qaeda cut all ties with isil, citing its failure to consult and notorious intransigence. Militant leader talks about break with al qaeda and. Today, warnings of a major alqaida threat emanating from syria continue to be repeated, with u.
Jan 22, 2014 one vice filmmaker managed to secure unprecedented access to both al qaeda factions battling syria s government forces, despite the risk of journalists being kidnapped. By 2016, alnusra had established itself as a formidable fighting force in syria. Now, syria is not syria to jihadis, but part of bilaad al shaam, what the. Albaghdadi moved to syria after the beginning of that countrys revolution, and in april 20 changed the name of his group to the islamic state of iraq and ashsham syria, while at the same time announcing the. Protesters, often with women in the lead, took to the streets demanding greater dignity, opportunity and politi cal pluralism. This is a well written, well presented presentation of what al qaeda was and now is. Quietly, alqaeda offshoots expand in yemen and syria the. Alqaeda is a global militant islamist organization headed by osama bin laden. The emergence of the islamic state also known as isis, isil, or daesh transformed the world of jihadism. Agence france presse, 3,000 european jihadis now in syria, iraq.