Nusra Front Breaks Ties with Al-Qaeda
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The al-Nusra Front terrorist group announced it was cutting ties with its parent organization, al-Qaeda, in an attempt to get more support from foreign powers.
The terrorist group's chief, Abu Mohamad al-Golani, made the announcement in a rare video that was the first public pronouncement to show his face, Reuters reported.
"We have stopped operating under the name of Nusra Front and formed a new body ... This new formation has no ties with any foreign party," he said, giving the group's new name as "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham."
He claimed the step was being taken "to remove the excuse used by the international community – spearheaded by America and Russia – to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant: that they are targeting the Nusra Front, which is associated with Al-Qaeda."
The statement was preceded by an audio message from al-Qaeda leaders, in which they endorsed the break in organizational ties.
Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri said Thursday that Nusra leaders “can sacrifice without hesitation” the organizational and party ties if those links conflict with their unity and working.
In the meantime, the US State Department said Nusra elements remained a legitimate target for US warplanes for now.
“We’re gonna have to wait and see,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby said.
“We judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves.”
Nusra and Daesh (also known as ISIL and ISIS), another Takfiri group which is mainly operating in eastern Syria, have been excluded from a cessation of hostilities agreement engineered by the United States and Russia since the end of February.
