On the Front Lines of Syria's Civil War

Elizabeth O'Bagy | Wall Street Journal | With the U.S. poised to attack Syria, debate is raging over what that attack should look like, and what, if anything, the U.S. is capable of accomplishing. Those questions can't be answered without taking a very close look at the situation in Syria from ground level.

Since few journalists are reporting from inside the country, our understanding of the civil war is not only inadequate, but often dangerously inaccurate. Anyone who reads the paper or watches the news has been led to believe that a once peaceful, pro-democracy opposition has transformed over the past two years into a mob of violent extremists dominated by al Qaeda; that the forces of President Bashar Assad not only have the upper hand on the battlefield, but may be the only thing holding the country together; and that nowhere do U.S. interests align in Syria—not with the regime and not with the rebels. The word from many American politicians is that the best U.S. policy is to stay out. As Sarah Palin put it: "Let Allah sort it out." 

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3 al Qaeda Military 'Training Experts' Killed in US Drone Strike in Pakistan

Bill Roggio | Long War Journal | A Pakistani Taliban commander said that the US killed three al Qaeda military "training experts" in a drone strike in North Waziristan that took place last weekend. Al Qaeda continues to support Taliban military operations in Afghanistan and conduct its own attacks despite claims from US commanders that the terrorist group is merely fighting for its survival in the country and maintains a minimal presence.

The US drone strike, which took place on July 28 in the Shawal Valley in North Waziristan, a known hub for terrorists crossing into Afghanistan, is reported to have killed four Arabs and four Taliban fighters.

The Taliban commander told Reuters that the Arab fighters were "al Qaeda training experts who had crossed the border from Afghanistan to look at ways of setting up a similar camp on Pakistani territory." The al Qaeda fighters were identified as "Abu Rashid from Saudi Arabia, Muhammed Ilyas Kuwaiti from Kuwait, and Muhammed Sajid Yamani from Yemen."

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The U.S. Military Has Awarded Contracts To Al-Qaeda In Afghanistan

Tyler Durden - Michael Krieger | Zero Hedge | I suppose it just wasn’t enough that our allies, “the rebels” in Syria, have significant Al-Qaeda elements to them. No, we are the USA! USA! Best country ever. Defender of human rights. City on a hill. We must do far more than that. So we did.

This story below from Bloomberg, highlights a 236-page report by the U.S. Army Suspension and Debarment Office, which shows that military contracts have been granted to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Yep, this is exactly what happens when an empire gets too big, too corrupt, and ends up in the hands of a bunch of sociopaths. From Bloomberg: "Supporters of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan have been getting U.S. military contracts, and American officials are citing “due process rights” as a reason not to cancel the agreements, according to an independent agency monitoring spending." READ MORE

Dutch Court Blocks Extradition of Terror Suspect to US

War on Terror News | VOA News | July 23, 2013 - A Dutch court has blocked the extradition of a terror suspect to the United States, saying it has not been ruled out that the U.S. played a role in his alleged torture while he was detained Pakistan.

The man, identified as Sabir K., is accused of working with al-Qaida and planning a suicide attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.

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Former bin Laden Doctor Reportedly Heads al Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula

Long War Journal | David Barnett | Egyptian security forces have reportedly arrested a number of jihadists operating in the Sinai Peninsula who are linked to Ramzi Mowafi, a former physician for Osama bin Laden.

Sources have told Egyptian media outlets that Mowafi's group has been responsible for numerous attacks in the Sinai over the past two years. Among those recently arrested are a Yemeni and a Palestinian who were found in the possession of maps and laptops.

In August 2011, Egyptian security officials told CNN that Mowafi, who is also thought to be an explosives expert, was spotted in the Sinai. At the time, Mowafi, born in Egypt in 1952, was said to be providing military training to a number of people in the Sinai.

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Shabaab Confirms 2 Top Leaders were Killed in Infighting

Bill Roggio | Long War Journal | June 30, 2013 - Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, has confirmed that it killed two of its top leaders, including Ibrahim al Afghani, who was on the US's wanted list for his ties to al Qaeda. Additionally, Hassan Dahir Aweys, another top leader, has been flown to Mogadishu and is reportedly in custody.

Shabaab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab confirmed yesterday that Afghani and another senior commander known as Abul Hamid Hashi Olhayi were killed during fighting in the town of Barawe.

"We have informed their widows of their deaths, as they must now wear the clothes of mourning," Musab told AFP.

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Syria Update: Jabhat Nusra Aligns with al-Qaeda

Institute for Study of War | Elizabeth O'Bagy | On April 7, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released a video message calling for the unification of the jihad in Syria and the establishment of an Islamic state.  Two days after Zawahiri’s statement, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Husseini al-Qurashi al-Baghdadi released his own audio message announcing the extension of its “Islamic State” into the Levant and incorporating the Syrian jihadist group Jabhat Nusra into its ranks.

 

The U.S. has never recognized Jabhat Nusra as a uniquely Syrian construct separate from the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), and the designation of Jabhat Nusra as a Foreign Terrorist Organization specifically designates the group as an alias of al-Qaeda in Iraq.  Accordingly, Jabhat Nusra falls under the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF), and reportedly the CIA has already begun to consider Jabhat Nusra extremists for drone strikes prior to this week’s announcement. While al-Qaeda’s recognition of the relationship validates the U.S. designation and will likely result in a similar designation from other western countries, it is unlikely to alter U.S. policy on Syria. It will, however, affect the state of the opposition in Syria, state security in Iraq, and likely also the involvement of regional powers. (READ MORE)

Al Qaeda in Iraq claims ambush that killed Syrian, Iraqi troops

The Long War Journal | Bill Roggio |  Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed credit for the March 4 attack in Anbar province that killed 48 Syrian soldiers who were fleeing their civil war and nine Iraqi troops who were escorting them to Baghdad. The Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, claimed to have 'liberated' the border crossing the day before the Syrian troops fled and were ambushed. The Islamic State of Iraq, which is al Qaeda in Iraq's political front, released a statement yesterday on jihadist forums that claimed credit for the attack. The statement was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. (READ MORE)

Green-On-Blue, Fade To Black: Are Insider Attacks Drawing Down In Afghanistan?

International Business Times | Jacey Fortin | March 12 2013 2:55 PM | It has been more than a decade since U.S. and allied troops rolled into Afghanistan to battle insurgents linked to al-Qaeda.  Violence is still rampant in the South Asian country of 35 million; ethnic divisions, political corruption and a still-active insurgency continue to threaten civilians’ safety. But a planned drawdown will have nearly all foreign forces out of the war-torn country by the end of next year.  (READ MORE)

ISW Report: Iraq Moves Toward Civil War

by Marisa Sullivan

 

Thousands of Iraqis gathered in Fallujah on Saturday, 26 January, to bury the protesters killed the day before by Iraqi Army fire. At a protest following the funerals, demonstrators denounced the government in language reminiscent of the early stages of the uprising in Syria, chanting "Listen Maliki, we are free people" and "Take your lesson from Bashar.” Many protesters displayed Saddam-era flags, signaling their sympathy with the former Ba’ath regime.  Photos from the funeral also show demonstrators waving the black flag of al-Qaeda.

 

In a televised interview broadcast on Saturday, prominent Anbari tribal leader Ahmed Abu Risha issued an ultimatum giving the government seven days to turn over those responsible for killing the protesters or face "losses among their ranks." Abu Risha’s statements echoed threats that other prominent tribal sheikhs, including Ali Hatem al- Suleiman, had issued on Friday.  Tribal leaders, rather than local or national Sunni politicians, are likely guiding the crowds’ responses to the crisis, for now.  But it is difficult to see how Maliki can meet the sheikhs’ ultimatum.

 

Also on Saturday, militants continued their attacks against Iraqi army positions in and around Fallujah. Iraqi media reported clashes between gunmen and security forces in the Moheet and Julan neighborhoods of eastern Fallujah. Militants also overran a military post in northern Fallujah after attacking it with mortars and RPGs. In a separate incident, the Iraqi Security Forces, via the Anbar Operations Command, reported that protesters overran and set fire to an army checkpoint, but that no one was hurt in the incident. Three off-duty soldiers en route to Baghdad were also kidnapped south of the city that day.

 

The al-Qaeda linked Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), which claimed responsibility for Friday’s attacks against government forces, is likely linked to Saturday’s incidents.  The group has tried to escalate current crisis through provocative attacks, and it is possible that it could draw increased support from disaffected Sunnis as the standoff with the government turns violent.  It is also possible that the group’s actions are being tolerated right now by Anbari tribal leaders who have sought to maintain control of their constituents while satisfying demands for revenge.

 

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Pakistani al Qaeda 'Facilitator' Killed in Kunar Airstrike

Bill Roggio | The Long War Journal | Special operations forces killed an al Qaeda "facilitator" from Pakistan in an airstrike in the remote eastern Afghan province of Kunar, which has served as a terrorist safe haven. The al Qaeda facilitator is the seventh senior Pakistani jihadist killed in Kunar since June.

The International Security Assistance Force confirmed that Abdul Rauf, who is also known as Iftikhar, was killed in an airstrike in the Marawarah district on Sept. 23. "Security force engaged Abdul Rauf with a precision airstrike, killing him and two other insurgents," ISAF said in a press release. The strike was called in after Rauf was seen while "engaged in insurgent activity."

Rauf was "a Pakistani al Qaeda facilitator who coordinated the movement of foreign fighters into the country, as well as constructing improvised explosive devices for attacks against security forces," according to ISAF. The term "foreign fighters" is often used by ISAF to describe foreign al Qaeda fighters.  (READ MORE)