Liz Sly
The Washington Post
February 3, 2014
Al -Qaeda formally dissociated itself from its onetime affiliate in Iraq and Syria on Monday, culminating months of feuding and exposing the dwindling influence of the group’s leadership over an emerging new generation of radicals.
The repudiation of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria came after the failure of repeated efforts by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to heal a dispute between ISIS and the officially anointed al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra that has erupted in fighting in parts of rebel-held northern Syria.
ISIS “is not a branch of the al-Qaeda group.. does not have an organizational relationship with it and is not the group responsible for their actions” al-Qaeda’s General Command said in a statement, marking the first time the leadership has ever formally repudiated an affiliate.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!