Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the largest rebel faction in Syria, has had its Twitter account suspended today after live-tweeting the forced amputation of the hand of an accused thief in Aleppo Province.
AQI, which was disavowed by al-Qaeda earlier this month for being too brutal, tweeted several photos leading up to the amputation and one of the aftermath, along with captions saying the amputation was done to “cleanse his sins.”
AQI controls much of northern Syria, including virtually the entire Raqqa Province. They have repeatedly clashed with Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda faction of choice in the area, as well as other smaller rebel factions.
Nusra has repeatedly faulted AQI for its harsh interpretation of Sharia law, harsh even by al-Qaeda standards, and has demanded they agree to mediation with religious scholars.
There are no "good guys" in this conflict. Staying out of it is the only option.