Al Qaeda in the Levant and the Civil War in Syria

Description

Al Qaeda in the Levant (AQL), with its sub-organisations Al Qaeda in Palestine, Al Qaeda in Lebanon and Al Qaeda in Syria, was the strongest military group in the civil war in Syria in May 2012 fighting against the Assad regime. Al Qaeda wants to cause chaos in Syria and prevent a solution by way of negotiation. In two video messages, Ayman as-Zawahiri called on his followers to fight against the Assad regime. Many Salafists from several Arab nations followed his appeal and are fighting in Syria. This makes it easier for the Assad regime to discredit the people’s insurgency as “terrorist” in nature.