Al Qaeda in Syria??

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationa...qaeda-in-syria

.Al Qaeda in Syria?
Arabic News Digest

Feb 20, 2012
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-------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 Qaeda's foremost strategists, was recently released from an Aleppo prison but the story somehow did not make big news, wrote Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi writer, in Saturday's edition of the London-based newspaper Al Hayat.

Mr Al Suri was reportedly captured by the US army in Pakistan several years ago and, oddly, handed over to the Syrian authorities. Now he is out there, but nobody knows where exactly in a very unstable Syria, the writer said.

Soon after his release, two bomb attacks hit security buildings in the city of Aleppo, north-west of Syria. Sure enough, Al Qaeda's Iraq branch issued a statement endorsing "jihad in Syria," though not explicitly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

"The Al Qaeda statement was credible, unlike the awkwardly worded and flagrantly fabricated statements the [Syrian] regime sometimes comes up with," the writer said. "It also revealed in some detail the migration of Al Qaeda's followers from Iraq into Syria."

Reports from Iraq's Anbar province, which is close to the Syrian border, say there are concerted efforts to fundraise and stockpile medicines - and even weapons - to bring support to the Syrian people against the regime of President Bashar Al Assad, the writer said.

"You can see that the right conditions are there for Al Qaeda to recruit."

Indeed, the probability of Al Qaeda becoming a key factor in Syrian affairs is undeniable, and the release of Mr Al Suri makes that probability a solid one.

He is one of "Al Qaeda's theorists," the writer said. "And I dare say that he, Abu Qatada Al Filistini and Abu Mohammed Al Maqdisi are the ones who made Al Qaeda as we know it …

"They did not join Osama bin Laden; he joined them," he went on.

"I know the man well. I interviewed him before … He is radical beyond limits. He theorised terrorism in Algeria, and issued fatwas to kill and made violating people's privacy and possessions permissible.

"He used to record his gibberish in cassette tapes and weekly pamphlets that were distributed at the entrance of mosques around London and from there would find their way to Algeria. He was the mufti of murder and blood par excellence."

If Mr Abu Musab managed to stoke fitna (instability fuelled by religious or sectarian differences) in a country like Algeria, which has an overwhelming Sunni majority, it is anyone's guess what he could achieve in Syria, which boasts an intricate constellation of sects

^^^^^^^^ This is from an Arab source. Sure we shouldnt worry abouit any of those wmds falling into the wrong hands, right Jafar?-Tyr

[jafar00]

^^^^^^^^ This is from an Arab source. Sure we shouldnt worry abouit any of those wmds falling into the wrong hands, right Jafar?-Tyr

A large proportion of Syrians are Sufis and would never fall in bed with the hated wahhabi sect of Al Qaeda.

[jimnyc]

Like I said, others here have posted supposed proof that Al Qaeda is down to like 200 members in total. Of course it only takes one or 2 to make a massive explosion, but apparently they aren't as dangerous as a whole as they used to be, or we would be lead to believe. But, some on the left will downplay Al Qaeda, as no longer a threat, but then have us worry about them in other places. Odd.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Like I said, others here have posted supposed proof that Al Qaeda is down to like 200 members in total. Of course it only takes one or 2 to make a massive explosion, but apparently they aren't as dangerous as a whole as they used to be, or we would be lead to believe. But, some on the left will downplay Al Qaeda, as no longer a threat, but then have us worry about them in other places. Odd.

Jim, they are now saying that unless USA /obama helps the Syrian rebels there Al Qaeda will. As if we must allow obama to do so by givingour support to stop Al Qaeda there. Were it not for the election being so close no doubt obama would have already had our planes and missiles hitting the govenment forces there IMHO. Just more propaganda from obama and crew! Here is the true lowdown on the guy , he will say or do anything to push his agenda and that agenda is enemy to this nation IMHO! -Tyr

[Dilloduck]

Al Qaeda is fighting on the side of the rebels. If we aid the rebels we are aiding Al Qaeda.

http://www.rand.org/blog/2012/07/al-...for-syria.html

[jimnyc]

Al Qaeda is fighting on the side of the rebels. If we aid the rebels we are aiding Al Qaeda.

http://www.rand.org/blog/2012/07/al-...for-syria.html

I agree. That's why I said the other day that I was uncomfortable with the US "secretly" helping them, as I'm afraid money and/or weapons might end up in the hands of Al Qaeda.

[revelarts]

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NxqYnxrxHX8?feature=player_embedded" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640"></iframe>

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...530782466.html
BY SETH G. JONES

The United States and its allies should consider opening a second front in the Syrian war. In addition to helping end Bashar Assad's rule, there is a growing need to conduct a covert campaign against al Qaeda and other extremist groups gaining a presence in the country.
While al Qaeda makes up a small part of the resistance movement, its strength appears to be rising. Since last December, al Qaeda has conducted roughly two dozen attacks, primarily against Syrian security service targets. Virtually all have been suicide attacks and car bombings, and they have resulted in more than 200 deaths ...




<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AMLlSYb2HGE?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


An Iraqi Al-Qaeda operative has admitted that his organization is taking part in the Syrian uprising against President Assad. The revelation comes amidst increasing evidence that Al-Qaeda is gaining a foothold in Syria.
Abu Thuha, a 56-year-old Al-Qaeda operative living near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, described the Islamist organization’s grand plans to an Iraqi reporter for The New York Times.
“We have experience now fighting the Americans, and more experience now with the Syrian revolution,” he noted. “Our big hope is to form a Syrian-Iraqi Islamic state for all Muslims, and then announce our war against Iran and Israel, and free Palestine.”
Similar revelations that "around 90 terror attacks that can be attributed to organizations that are close to Al-Qaeda or jihadist groups were carried out in Syria between the end of December and the beginning of July” have been made by the German foreign intelligence service, the BND.

The information was revealed by the German government in a response to a parliamentary question. The German government admitted that it had received several reports from the German foreign intelligence service, but noted that the content of these reports was to remain classified "by reason of national interest," in light of Germany's support for the rebellion and its political arm, the Syrian National Council (SNC).

At least three major German newspapers – Die Welt, the FAZ (Die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), and the tabloid Bild – have published reports attributing responsibility for the May 25 massacre in the Syrian town of Houla to anti-government rebel forces or treating this as the most likely scenario.

Writing in Bild, longtime German war correspondent Jurgen Todenhofer accused the rebels of "deliberately killing civilians and then presenting them as victims of the government". He described this "massacre-marketing strategy" as being "among the most disgusting things that I have ever experienced in an armed conflict."

In Iraq, the number of Al-Qaeda attacks has been on the rise, with over 400 people killed since the start of June. On Monday, a series of bombings and shootings took the lives of over 110 people, an attack that has been claimed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq, Al-Qaeda’s front in the country. As for Syria, Iraqi officials have pointed to the fact that both governments face a common enemy: Al-Qaeda.
“We are 100-per-cent sure from security coordination with Syrian authorities that the wanted names that we have are the same wanted names that the Syrian authorities have, especially within the last three months,” Izzat al-Shahbandar, a close aide to the Iraqi prime minister, said. “The Al-Qaeda that is operating in Iraq is the same as that which is operating in Syria.”
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari also noted that while in the past decade his country suffered from an influx of Al-Qaeda operatives coming in from Syria, the direction of their flow has now reversed.
“We have solid information and intelligence that members of Al-Qaeda's terrorist network have gone to Syria,” he told reporters in Baghdad on July 5. “Our main concern, to be honest with you, is about the spill over – about extremist, terrorist groups taking root in neighboring countries.”
Another piece of evidence pointing to Al-Qaeda’s growing presence in Syria is the increasing number of Al-Qaeda-style suicide bombings, most of them targeting government facilities.
Last week, at least four senior government ministers were killed in an explosion in Damascus, as fighting between troops and rebels raged on in the outskirts of the city. Both the Free Syrian Army and the Islamist Liva al-Islam claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Last month, seven people were killed and 11 were kidnapped in an attack on the state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV station. The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front for the People of the Levant claimed responsibility for the attack.
In May, two car bombs detonated by suicide bombers went off next to a military intelligence complex in Damascus, killing at least 55 soldiers.
All in all, at least 35 car bombings and 10 suicide bombings have taken place in Syria this year, data compiled by the Institute for the Study of War shows. Four of these attacks were claimed by the Al-Nusra Front. Many more were alleged to have been perpetrated by the Islamist group, as well as other militant Sunni organizations connected to Al-Qaeda: the Abdullah Azzam Shaheed Brigades and the al-Baraa ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade.
Al-Qaeda has repeatedly been voicing its support for the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. Last week, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the pseudonymous new leader of Al-Qaeda’s branch in Iraq, issued his first audio statement in which he devoted 30 minutes to praising the Sunni struggle against President Assad, a member of the offshoot Shiite Alawite sect. The statement also served as a harbinger for the deadly Monday attacks in Iraq.
“I bring you good news: we are starting a new phase in our struggle with a plan we named `Breaking the walls,' and we remind you of your priority to free the Muslim prisoners,” he said. “At the top of your priorities regarding targets is to chase and liquidate the judges, the investigators and the guards.”
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahari has also been voicing his support for the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. In February he released an audio recording lauding the rebels and calling them “the lions of the Levant.”
Nevertheless, the Syrian National Council (SNC), the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) "are all united in rejecting the message of Al-Qaeda,” a February statement of the SNC read.
The Syrian government has maintained that it has been fighting terrorists since last year. This claim has repeatedly been shunned by a number of high-ranking Western officials. US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the recent attacks against senior government officials in Damascus were “not surprising.”
Her position, as well as that of Susan Rice, the US ambassador in the UN, led Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to condemn America’s stance and suggest that it was directly endorsing terrorism.
The anti-Assad rhetoric of top American officials is not being backed by evidence presented by the country’s own military and intelligence.
In February, US director of national intelligence James Clapper told Congress that a series of bombings against Syrian security targets last year bore “all the earmarks of an Al-Qaeda-like attack.”
General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, also suggested that Islamist militant organizations such as Al-Qaeda were trying to stir the conflict in Syria their way.
“Those who would like to foment a Sunni-Shia standoff – and you know who they are – are all weighing in in Syria,” he noted during a Senate testimony in February.

http://rt.com/news/al-qaeda-involved...-conflict-047/

[revelarts]

Old saying comes to mid.
Best enemies money can buy.


Didn't we U.S. NATO create the Taliban and Alqadea AKA "the Database" in the 1st place?
I'm reading somethings now about how we even created/backed the early muslim brotherhood in an attempt to weaken various Arab secular nationalist long ago.

what's wrong with this picture folks?
Is it a mistake or is it on purpose that we keep FUNDING and TRAINING terrorist over and over and over again?

[Gaffer]

Old saying comes to mid.
Best enemies money can buy.


Didn't we U.S. NATO create the Taliban and Alqadea AKA "the Database" in the 1st place?
I'm reading somethings now about how we even created/backed the early muslim brotherhood in an attempt to weaken various Arab secular nationalist long ago.

what's wrong with this picture folks?
Is it a mistake or is it on purpose that we keep FUNDING and TRAINING terrorist over and over and over again?

The taliban were created by...the taliban. Al quaeda was created by bin ladin. All we did was supply them with arms to fight the russians. You know, that cold war thingy. Kinda like what the russians did with Vietnam. Our troops didn't have to get involved and a lot of russians got killed.

We helped them and they turned on us. We helped the russians in WW2 and they turned on us. We helped the Chinese in WW2 and they turned on us. But helping them was in our best interest at the time.

[jafar00]

We helped them and they turned on us. We helped the russians in WW2 and they turned on us. We helped the Chinese in WW2 and they turned on us. But helping them was in our best interest at the time.

You could add, "we helped Israel but they turned on us (USS Liberty etc...), so we helped them again....."

[jimnyc]

You could add, "we helped Israel but they turned on us (USS Liberty etc...), so we helped them again....."

Unlike the other examples, there was many, many inquiries into this incident. Both governments determined it to be an accident, whether you or others agree with that conclusion or not, I'm not debating it, just pointing out the facts. Furthermore, Israel paid out a lot of money to our government and the families involved in an attempt to try and right a wrong. They remain a strong ally, unlike the formation of the taliban and Al Qaeda.

[Dilloduck]

and you could add that the Vietnamese helped us in WWII and then we turned on them.

[Dilloduck]

Unlike the other examples, there was many, many inquiries into this incident. Both governments determined it to be an accident, whether you or others agree with that conclusion or not, I'm not debating it, just pointing out the facts. Furthermore, Israel paid out a lot of money to our government and the families involved in an attempt to try and right a wrong. They remain a strong ally, unlike the formation of the taliban and Al Qaeda.

It sucks when you have to go out and buy allies.

[jimnyc]

It sucks when you have to go out and buy allies.

If that's what you comprehend out of all of it, good for you!

[revelarts]

...We helped them and they turned on us. We helped the russians in WW2 and they turned on us. We helped the Chinese in WW2 and they turned on us. But helping them was in our best interest at the time.

So how is it in our best interest to fund/train/support/arm AlQadea in Syria AND Libya at this time?

and you could add that the Vietnamese helped us in WWII and then we turned on them.

It sucks when you have to go out and buy allies.

"America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests."
Henry Kissinger

So what exactly are our interest in Syria and Libya then?