By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – al-Akhbar (Beirut) reports that al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Levant, also known as the Support Front (jabhat al-Nusra), repeated scenarios it had previously acted out against other “moderate” remnants of the old Free Syrian Army. It launched a massive attack on the headquarters of Division […]
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Jabhat al-Nusra
Syria Rebels face Collapse as Thousands flee North Aleppo
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – On Friday, the Syrian Arab Army and its Hizbullah and Iranian/ Afghan allies made further progress in taking the area just north of Aleppo. They were apparently mainly fighting al-Qaeda, which had a stronghold in the city of Ratyan. The Russians subjected it to intensive bombing […]
Syria: The Mother of all Battles for Aleppo is Joined
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Aided by a massive Russian bombing campaign and Hizbullah and Iranian (or likely actually Afghan) reinforcements, the Syrian Arab Army has broken out of the siege imposed on West Aleppo by rebel forces toward the north, and now seems positioned to besiege East Aleppo, which is […]
Turkish-Russian Airspace Conflict as Ankara-backed Turkmen flee Syria
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Russia rejected as “propaganda” on Saturday renewed Turkish charges that its fighter jets had crossed Turkish territory. NATO asked Moscow to respect its joint airspace. A promontory of Turkish territory sticks down into northern Latakia, and it would be very difficult to conduct the sort of […]
Russian Strike on al-Qaeda Lair kills 51 at Prison, as US hypocritically slams Moscow
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Russian air war against al-Qaeda in Syria (the Nusra Front or the Support Front) took a tragic turn on Saturday when a missile hit a downtown government building complex and prison in Maarat al-Numan. It left some 51 or more dead and 70 wounded. The […]
Daesh/ ISIL hasn’t weakened al-Qaeda– Its Affiliates are Stronger than Ever
By Ari Heistein | (Informed Comment) | – – Experts predicted that the rise of the Caliphate declared by Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) would be disastrous for al-Qaeda(AQ). One report that concluded “The good news is that this power struggle [between Daesh and AQ] may weaken both of them.” The belief was that Osama Bin Laden’s […]
Top 5 Ways Saudi Arabia really could fight Terrorism, & not by a Vague Coalition
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Over the past three days, Saudi Arabia has abruptly put together a 35-nation Muslim coalition to fight terrorism. Saudi interest in this fight is not new, and the kingdom itself has suffered from armed non-governmental groups targeting innocent non-combatants. In 2003-2006, al-Qaeda and other extremist cells […]
‘You ain’t no Muslim, Bruv’ retort to London Attacker goes Viral
By Jon Queally, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | – – With anti-Muslim and xenophobic sentiment on the rise in the wake of Paris attacks, social media hashtag aims to pushback against reactionary blame game by Jon Queally, staff writer 8 Comments The scene of the attack that took place inside the Tube terminal in London […]
How Turkish President Erdogan went Wrong: Dividing and Not Ruling
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Receb Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, was once seen as a political breath of fresh air and a beacon of change in the Middle East. Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Algeria, Tunisia and other countries in the region were locked into an unhealthy political gridlock. The […]