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January 19th, 2025 | 10:52 PM ET

First Assad, Then the World: Al Qaida’s Strategy in Syria

Al Qaeda in Syria
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Posted: February 6th, 2018

Bottom Line: While ISIS’s territory has dwindled, al Qaida has managed to build a strong following in Syria, and may use the civil-war-torn country as a base from which to target the West. The group has evolved into the network’s largest global affiliate by strategically positioning itself as a key opposition movement battling the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Background: Al Qaida’s Syrian offshoot, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra or the al-Nusra Front, emerged in 2011 against the backdrop of the Syrian civil war.

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Categorized as:Middle East ReportingTagged with:

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