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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Al Qaeda in Iraq admits its role in Syrian war | |
| 2013-04-10 | |
| DAMASCUS -- Al Qaeda in Iraq confirmed on Tuesday long-held suspicions that Al Nusra Front, a militant group fighting in Syria, is part of its network, an admission likely to sharpen debate on arming rebels. "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", ISI's chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi said in an audio message posted on the Internet, adding that it is fighting for an Islamic state in Syria. The groups would be combined and called the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Baghdadi said, describing Al Nusra front leader Abu Mohammed Al Jawlani as "one of our soldiers". "We chose Al Jawlani... as well as other fighters to go from Iraq to Syria... We prepared plans and work policies. We gave them money and personnel support," said Baghdadi.
Al Nusra Front is among the most prominent organisations involved in Syria's conflict, which erupted in March 2011 with peaceful protests against President Bashar Al Assad's regime but has evolved into a war that has killed tens of thousands. The militant group has gained notoriety for its suicide bombings but also won admiration among some insurgents over its reputation as a formidable fighting force leading attacks on Syrian battlefronts. The West has been wary, and in December the United States announced it was labelling Al Nusra Front a "terrorist" organisation because of suspected ties to ISI. At the time, the US State Department said the creation of Al Nusra was "an attempt by AQI to hijack the struggles of the Syrian people for its own malign purposes". According to the US, the head of Al Qaeda in Iraq "is in control of both AQI and Al Nusra" and reports on Internet forums used by jihadists indicate hundreds of militants have made the trip from Iraq into Syria to fight Assad's regime. Al Nusra, which announced its creation in a January 2012 video, is a magnet for foreign fighters seeking to take part in the uprising against the Syrian regime. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |