7/21/2019 Syria's Nusra Front Backs Paris Attacks, Despite Opposition to Islamic State 

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Syria's Nusra Front backs Paris attacks,

despite opposition to Islamic State

Main Syrian rebel groups have condemned the Paris attacks but Qaeda's afliate has epressed

support

Nusra !ghters carry a banner reading" #$e !ght in Syria %%% and our eyes are on &erusalem# (FP)

(le Mac*onald+Monday - November ./0

1he Nusra Front, (l+Qaeda's afliate in Syria, have broken $ith other Syrian

opposition groups to epress support 2or Friday's deadly attacks in Paris, despite

the group's ofcial hostility to the Islamic State IS)%

#3e are happy i2 a deviant sect success2ully eecutes an operation against the

4u2aar in!dels)# read a statement released by the group over the $eekend,

7/21/2019 Syria's Nusra Front Backs Paris Attacks, Despite Opposition to Islamic State 

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7/21/2019 Syria's Nusra Front Backs Paris Attacks, Despite Opposition to Islamic State 

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“;isten, IS 2ought a /+year guerrilla $ar $ith a 2ull (merican invasion and still

remained a resistance, no matter ho$ much you bomb or ho$ much you try,

$hether IS are $eak or strong, they $ill al$ays be a threat i2 the 3est doesn?t stop

its aggression,# he $rote%

“No$ you have t$o groups competing $ith each other at $ho can do most

damage to the 3est% 7aha%#

(l+Qaeda have traditionally been seen as more $illing to attack targets in the 3est

than IS, $ho have primarily concerned themselves $ith building a po$er base in

Ira6 and Syria%

 &anuary's attack on the Aharlie 7ebdo maga8ine in Paris $as carried out by

militants $ith links to the Bemen+based al+Qaeda in the (rabian Peninsula%

In response to a 6uestion about possible similar attacks by Nusra on the 3est,

Shaheed said he $as 9ust a #simple soldier#%

“I don?t kno$ $hat Nusra has planned + I kno$ one thing, though% I2 the 3est

keeps supporting dictators against the Muslims and keeps bombing them then

epect the same i2 not $orse,# he told M==%

7o$ever, he said that it $as a #good thing# that such attacks by IS $ere

overshado$ing Nusra's activities, as it prevented the media 2rom publishing

#biased narratives# about the group%

+ See more at" http"CC$$$%middleeasteye%netCne$sCliveblog+paris+attacks+DEEE0D/Gsthash%%%

(hmed Shaheed, a Nusra !ghter, told Middle =ast =ye that the attacks in Paris

$ere to be epected 2ollo$ing France's bombing o2 IS in Syria%

“3hat you sa$ in Paris is a retaliation,# he told M==, via mobile messaging

application% >So don?t cry about it% I2 a country chooses to bomb someone epect

to get a retaliation% Simple%@

Shaheed, $ho is originally (ustralian, is believed to be based in (leppo, though

this has not been independently veri!ed%

*espite Nusra's longstanding rivalry $ith IS, Shaheed said they $ould stand $ith

them against #tyrants#%

“;isten, IS 2ought a /+year guerrilla $ar $ith a 2ull (merican invasion Hin Ira6 and

still remained a resistance, no matter ho$ much you bomb or ho$ much you try,

$hether IS is $eak or strong, they $ill al$ays be a threat i2 the 3est doesn?t stop

7/21/2019 Syria's Nusra Front Backs Paris Attacks, Despite Opposition to Islamic State 

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its aggression,# he $rote%

“No$ you have t$o groups competing $ith each other $ho can do most damage

to the 3est% 7aha%#

'=pect the same i2 not $orse'

(l+Qaeda has traditionally been seen as more $illing to attack targets in the 3est

than IS, $ho have primarily concerned themselves $ith building a po$er base in

Ira6 and Syria%

 &anuary's attack on the Aharlie 7ebdo maga8ine in Paris $as carried out by

militants $ith reported links to the Bemen+based al+Qaeda in the (rabian

Peninsula%

In response to a 6uestion about possible similar attacks by Nusra on the 3est,

Shaheed said he $as 9ust a #simple soldier#%“I don?t kno$ $hat Nusra has planned + I kno$ one thing, though% I2 the 3est

keeps supporting dictators against the Muslims and keeps bombing them then

epect the same i2 not $orse,# he told M==%

1he apparent divergence bet$een Nusra and other groups has become more

stark as (hrar al+Sham and &aish al+Islam have apparently taken steps to moderate

their image and etend an olive+branch to 3estern audiences $ho had previously

2eared that their ideologies + $hich have been labelled #Sala! &ihadism# in the

same bracket as Nusra + made them unpalatable allies%In ./:, Jahran (lloush, the charismatic leader o2 &aish al+Islam, spoke o2 his

desire to >$ash the !lth o2 the Ka!da and Ka!dism@ 2rom Syria, using derogatory

re2erences to Shia and (la$ites%

In another speech in &anuary ./D, he also stated that &aish al+Islam >denounce

democracy completely%@

7o$ever, in a May ./0 intervie$ $ith the LS+based McAlatchy ne$spaper, he

appeared to have signi!cantly changed his tune, claiming that he only $anted to

establish a state 2ree o2 >sectarian discrimination@ against Syria?s Sunnis%

“3e $ant to establish a state in $hich our rights are 2ul!lled,@ he said% >(2ter that,

the people should choose the sort o2 state they $ant%@

Perhaps even more signi!cantly, he stated that the (la$ites $ere >part o2 the

Syrian people@ and that only those $ho had blood on their hands should 2ace

punishment%

7/21/2019 Syria's Nusra Front Backs Paris Attacks, Despite Opposition to Islamic State 

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“(s 2or coeistence $ith minorities, this has been the situation in Syria 2or

hundreds o2 years,@ he told the ne$spaper%

“3e are not seeking to impose our po$er on minorities or to practice oppression against them%@

'( mainstream Sunni Islamic group'

1he position o2 (hrar al+Sham as potentially the most signi!cant rebel 2orce in

Syria has meant that their overtures to the 3est have been $atched by analysts

$ith intense interest%

(hrar al+Sham $ent so 2ar as to print an editorial in the 3ashington Post in $hich

they criticised the broad categorisation o2 the Syrian opposition groups as

>moderate@ or >etremist@%

“3e consider ourselves a mainstream Sunni Islamic group that is led by Syrians

and !ghts 2or Syrians,@ $rote Nahhas%

“3e are !ghting 2or 9ustice 2or the Syrian people% Bet $e have been 2alsely accused

o2 having organi8ational links to al+Qaeda and o2 espousing al+Qaeda?s ideology%@

*espite name checking (l+Qaeda, ho$ever, no mention $as made o2 Nusra

speci!cally, and the groups have continued to !ght side by side despite reports o2

strains in the relationship%

For no$, there appears to be a mutual agreement on 2or both groups to set asides

ideological divisions%

“3e don?t agree $ith their (hrar al+Sham's) pro9ect at all,@ said (hmed Shaheed%

>5ecause they 2ooled themselves into believing they can achieve their goals by

being diplomatic $ith the ku<ar Hnon+believers, $hile $e believe that $e have to

subdue the ku<ar be2ore any political processes can start%@

7e ackno$ledged, ho$ever, that ideological di<erences $ould be set aside 2or the

time being%

“(s long as $e have a common enemy the !ght bet$een us $ill be delayed,@ he

said, but added that their divergent goals $ould eventually >butt heads%@

Posted by Thavam