Military Review English Edition March-April 2014 | Page 49

SYRIAN CRISIS

mile border with Syria. He
predicted this would become
a new security concern for
Turkey.
Despite the ongoing peace
process, in Turkey, concerns
remain about the PYD retaining control along parts of the
Turkish-Syria border. PYD
control of the border would
create a greater safe haven
for the PKK.

JihadiGroupsinSyria:
New and Unwelcome
Neighbors for Turkey
Several al-Qaida-affiliated
jihadi organizations have
established a foothold in
Syria. These groups have A Syrian army soldier walks on a street during a government-organized media tour in the Jobar
experience with improvised neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, 24 August 2013. (AP Photo)
explosive devices, suicide
bombings, and bomb making. Their expertise and
more experience now with the Syrian revolution ....
organization have allured some FSA fighters, many
Our big hope is to form a Syrian-Iraqi Islamic state
of whom have pledged allegiance to various groups.
for all Muslims, and then announce our war against
One such fighter explained to The Guardian in
Iran and Israel, and free Palestine.”24 In a recent
2012, “The Free Syrian Army has no rules and no
audio statement, al-Qaida linked its insurgency in
military or religious order. Everything happens
Iraq with the revolution in Syria, depicting both as
chaotically. Al-Qaida has a law that no one, not
sectarian (Sunni versus Shiite) conflicts.25 As a funeven the emir, can break. The FSA lacks the ability
damentalist Sunni movement, al-Qaida is hostile to
to plan and lacks military experience. That is what
the Shiite-dominated state of Iran. It is also opposed
[al-Qaida] can bring. They have an organization
to the Shiite-led government of Iraq and the Alawitethat all countries have acknowledged.”21 An FSA led government of Syria (Alawite is an offshoot of
commander told The Guardian, “They [al-Qaida]
Shiite Islam).
are stealing the revolution from us and they are
The greatest threat this poses concerns biologiworking for the day that comes after.”22 It appears
cal and chemical weapons. The chaos in Syria carthat al-Qaida is turning the local conflict into a
ries the risk of Assad losing control of his weapons
global one.
stockpiles. In 2012, a jihadi site featured a video
Then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta declared
showing FSA rebels with chemical and biological
on 10 May 2012 that al-Qaida had become an actor
weapons they claimed were left behind by Assad’s
in the Syrian crisis.23 More and more jihadi videos
army when they left Aleppo in a rush after heavy
are popping up on the Internet, showing different
fighting.26 Deterring groups influenced by al-Qaida
rebel groups calling for jihad, including the Islamic
from using such weapons is a challenge; they have
Front, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (an alshown that their members are not afraid to die.
Qaida-linked group in northern Syria), and Jabhat
In mid-July 2013, the al-Qaida-linked Al-Nusrah
al-Nusrah. What will become of these groups after
Front started attacking Kurdish-controlled areas in
the fall of the Assad regime is unknown. In 2012, an
northern Syria. These attacks came at a time when
al-Qaida operative told The New York Times, “We
the Kurds had started working on establishing their
have experience now fighting the Americans, and
own administration in the region, which includes
MILITARY REVIEW

March-April 2014

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