The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria - and its Evil Sisters (Dar
Al-Hayat, Egypt)
"Isn't the eradication of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria a
win-win situation for all Syrians - regardless of who made the decision to act?
... The fear is that this will turn into a long filthy war, which creates the
environment for extending the life of the illegitimate Assad regime. ... If the
mysterious Army of the Mujahedeen is to spearhead this war, the greatest
beneficiary is none other than the al-Nusra Front.
... Given the American support for Maliki in his fight against the ISIS -
backed with badly-needed weapons, it's too early to feel good about
eradicating the ISIS, especially if it is to be replaced by its surrogate
sisters."
Men mourn over the coffin of an Iraqi soldier killed fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria - an al-Qaeda offshoot operating in Iraq and Syria, Jan. 6.
Since
the emergence of militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS] -
wherever they have appeared - the organization has done all in its power win
the disapproval of the local population. It has succeeded to the point that
today, no one sheds a tear as ISIS faces a multi-pronged attack: by Maliki’s
government from the east in al-Anbar Province, and by
all militant groups operating from the west in northern Syria. An audio
statement attributed to ISIS lost no time threatening factions warring against
it to withdraw from liberated areas, which would leave them vulnerable to
attack from Assad's forces, as if to confirm statement issued days ago by the
opposition Syrian National
Coalition,
which accused ISIS of being a creation of the Assad regime. Nor are there those
who still fall for the lies of the ISIS, used to justify or renounce
responsibility for its obscene actions, successfully leaving liberated areas
empty of reporters and labeling TV cameras as enemy number one.
Public
discontent over this branch of al-Qaeda isn't new. Nevertheless, the war on
ISIS was delayed, thanks to opportunism on the part of the armed factions
capable of waging such a war. What happened, then, to bring the war against
ISIS to the fore in both Syria and Iraq? What led to the establishment of the "Army of the Mujahideen," the
prime and even sole mission of which is to eradicate the ISIS and expel it from
Syria? And why has almost everyone involved, including the al-Nusra Front, enrolled in this
war? [Al-Nusra was part of the ISIS until recently,
and is also considered an al-Qaeda offshoot].
It
is no longer a news that at both the military and political levels, when it
comes to the Syrian revolution, that initiative is now on the side of
non-Syrians - regional and international powers that have a variety of conflicting
objectives. The current war on the ISIS is a result of decisions taken in the
capitals involved in the Syrian problem. Was it Ankara, which is embattled by corruption
scandals that threaten to bring down the ruling Justice and Development Party?
Or was it Doha, aspiring to regain control over the Syria file after months of exclusion?
Or was it Paris - or Washington?
One
can only guess. So why our focus on the Qatari-Turkish axis? For some time, the
internally-troubled Turkish government, especially in light of U.S.-Iran
rapprochement, has long sought to restore balance to its foreign policy, which appears
to be based on long-term strategic aspirations - and not merely the dismantling
of Iran’s nuclear program.
Qatar,
on the other hand, taking advantage of the chill in U.S.-Saudi relations and as
a result of U.S.-Iran rapprochement, has found the moment opportune to mount a comeback
in the region, from Egypt to Syria. This became apparent during the latest
meeting of the Syrian National Coalition, where a fierce struggle ensued over
leadership positions among groups affiliated with various Arab governments, and
which ended with the withdrawal 50 members from the Coalition - the greatest
rift since its inception.
No
analysis of the just war against the ISIS would be comprehensive without taking
account of the international backdrop. Isn't the eradication of the ISIS a win-win
situation for all Syrians - regardless of who made the decision to act?
Certainly, if we were discussing a surgical operation to remove a malignant
tumor, i.e.: the perpetrators of atrocities against civilians, rebels,
militants and the population in general.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
The
fear, however, is that this will turn into a long filthy war, which creates the
environment for the further humiliation and terrorization of the population, and
extending the life of an illegitimate regime. In a lengthy audio recording by
one of its spokesmen, the ISIS has declared that all of its opponents, infidels
and apostates alike - have become targets for death, including the National
Coalition and the supreme military command of the Free Syrian Army. Indeed, it
has commenced its response with car bomb attacks that have killed scores of
militants and civilians. Meanwhile, opponents of the ISIS - armed militants and
media - have launched an escalating campaign to demonize it, similar to the one
we are seeing today against the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
Worst
of all may be the nature of the groups opposing the ISIS. If the mysterious
Army of the Mujahedeen is to spearhead this war, the greatest beneficiary is none
other than the al-Nusra Front, which has returned to
the forefront after briefly falling back. The appearance on Al-Jazeera of its leader, Abu Mohammad
al Joulani, a few days before the war on the ISIS was
launched, is no coincidence [watch below]. Al-Nusra,
which retreated after it split from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria led by al-Baghdadi, is coming back
strong to the Syrian scene. It appears
as if a "corrective movement" within the heart of al-Qaeda is taking
over, after the Islamic State's scandalous expansion into the liberated areas of
northern Syria, and now Iraq's al-Anbar Province.
Given
the American support for Maliki in his fight against the ISIS - backed with badly-needed
weapons, and as Ambassador Robert Ford is looking forward to meeting with the "Islamic
Front," which includes Salafist jihadist organizations like the Army of
Islam and the Ahrar al-Sham group, it's too early to feel good about eradicating the ISIS, especially if it is to be replaced by
its surrogate sisters.
