A late Friday offensive by rival rebel factions took al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) fighters by surprise in northwest Syria, and within short order they were ousted from dozens of bases in the area, putting the group on its heels for the first time in quite awhile in Syria.
It wasn’t to last, however, as AQI quickly recovered, holding off rival attempts against their key strongholds, and dispatching reinforcements from Raqqa. At least 60 people have been killed overall, but only nine AQI fighters were among them.
Exactly how united the rival rebels are remains unclear, and there remains considerable speculation that the secularists and the Islamic Front simply took the opportunity given them by protesters to try to claim some territory from AQI.
Though the weekend fighting unseating AQI from some areas in Idlib Province, the bulk of their territorial possessions seem unaffected, and the battle-hardened foreign fighters on their side will likely be difficult to oust by the other factions.
Here we go again. "Rebels", AQI — naming conventions that make no sense on the ground. There is no AQI, but SALAFI groups that DO NOT BELIEVE IN NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, only kalifates under Saudi Arabia. And the NEWLY MINTED Islamic Front, is nothing else but OTHER Salafis that are — on the insistence of Saudi Arabia focused on Syria only. All we have is a DOCRINAL difference between two Salafi world views, and the expedience of US and Saudi Arbia is in favor of those that will focus on Syria. Now, this "Front" is a way of cleansing the CRIMES COMMITTED BY THESE GROUPS. The worst possible crimes against women, littel children, nuns, priests, against the non-compliant Sunni, and all others. Their bruallity and head chopping is LEGENDARy, Yet, for the sake of CONTINUING THE CARNAGE, we are willing to go along with the pathetic deception, and treat this Islamic Front as if it is a new organization that came from nowhere — and are ready to toss under the bus other Salafis, currently just too doctrinaire for immediate goals. And who is financing the carnage in Iraq? Of course, the same allies financing the Syrian debacle. Now they are trying their hands at Turkey. Paranoia is taking hold.