person:ahmad aboud

Al-Qaeda(s) in #syria: From foundation to fracture
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20017

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A rebel fighter loads a rocket onto a home-made launcher in the eastern Syrian town of Deir Ezzor on February 16, 2014. (Photo: AFP-Ahmad Aboud) A rebel fighter loads a rocket onto a home-made launcher in the eastern Syrian town of Deir Ezzor on February 16, 2014. (Photo: AFP-Ahmad Aboud)

Al-Qaeda entered the fray in Syria sometime between July and August 2011, with the aim of founding and engaging in jihadist action there. Abu Mohammad al-Joulani arrived in Syria with eight delegates from what was then known as the Islamic State of Iraq, dispatched by the group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The seeds Joulani planted soon sprouted throughout the land, before the bloody split between the two main al-Qaeda affiliates in (...)

#Mideast_&_North_Africa #Abu_Bakr_al_Baghdadi #Abu_Mohammad_al_Joulani #Al_Nusra_Front #Articles #Ayman_al_Zawahiri #ISIS

#al-Qaeda and #ISIS : The Renunciation of #Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/al-qaeda-and-isis-renunciation-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi

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A rebel fighter carrying a weapon rides his bike on February 3, 2014 in a street in the northeastern city of Deir Ezzor. At least 36 people were killed on February 2, 2014. (Photo: AFP- Ahmad Aboud). A rebel fighter carrying a weapon rides his bike on February 3, 2014 in a street in the northeastern city of Deir Ezzor. At least 36 people were killed on February 2, 2014. (Photo: AFP- Ahmad Aboud).

The Islamic State of Iraq, which later became the #Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_Syria (ISIS), was never really a subordinate of al-Qaeda. The groups’ relationship dates back to 2003, when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi swore an oath of allegiance to Osama bin Laden. The religious dispute between the two jihadi groups, however, is new, as all (...)

#Mideast_&_North_Africa #Abu_Mohammed_al-Golani #Al-Nusra_Front #Articles #syria

Lines of the Game : #Sykes-Picot Is Dead
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/lines-game-sykes-picot-dead

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A rebel fighter prepares a fire ball during fighting on a front line of #syria's northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on January 10, 2014. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud) A rebel fighter prepares a fire ball during fighting on a front line of Syria’s northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on January 10, 2014. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

There are no more illusions. The Arabs are back to their oldest traditions, resuming their tribal invasions. Nothing has worked during half a century of experiments – not nationalism or the left, not the Nasserite dream or the adventures of unity, not moderate Islam, the passing revolutions, or the spring, which ended before it bloomed. Arabism is back to pulling swords and knives from their sheaths. The (...)

#Opinion #Articles #Egypt #France #Hezbollah #Saudi_Arabia #united_states

#syria: The Mistake of Ignoring Internal Factors in the Crisis
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syria-mistake-ignoring-internal-factors-crisis

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A rebel fighter points his weapon through a hole in the wall of a damaged building in the northeastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor during fightings with Syrian government forces on December 1, 2013. (Photo: Ahmad Aboud) A rebel fighter points his weapon through a hole in the wall of a damaged building in the northeastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor during fightings with Syrian government forces on December 1, 2013. (Photo: Ahmad Aboud)

From the outset, Russia has been extremely active on the Syria crisis, developing working groups within its foreign ministry dedicated to finding ways to end almost three years of bloodshed. Moscow has even managed to develop strong relations with elements of the opposition – internal and (...)

#Opinion #Articles #Geneva_II

“Moderate” Syrian #Islam Attracts Ire of State and Militants
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/%E2%80%9Cmoderate%E2%80%9D-syrian-islam-attracts-ire-state-and-mi

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A rebel fighter stands behind a window as he holds a position in a building in the northeastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor on November 24, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud) A rebel fighter stands behind a window as he holds a position in a building in the northeastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor on November 24, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

The Islamic movement in #syria is often reduced to the factions opposing the regime, while the “moderate” Islamic movement is deliberately ignored in an attempt to entrench the sectarian divide in Syrian society. Yet this moderate movement has not had better luck with some Syrian security agencies either.

Laith al-Khatib

read (...)

#Mideast_&_North_Africa #Articles #Damascus #Mohammed_Said_Ramadan_al-Bouti #Sufi

Hotbeds of Transformation: Manna Meets Nasrallah and Jumblatt’s Secret Supper
►http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hotbeds-transformation-manna-meets-nasrallah-and-jumblatts-secret

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A rebel fighter holds a position in a damaged building during clashes with Syrian government forces in the northeastern city of Deir Ezzor, on November 11, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud) A rebel fighter holds a position in a damaged building during clashes with Syrian government forces in the northeastern city of Deir Ezzor, on November 11, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

A few days ago, a secret supper took place. Head (...)

#Opinion #Articles #Bashar_al-Assad #Qatar #syria #Walid_Jumblatt

#Russia : #Iran must join #syria peace talks
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/russia-iran-must-join-syria-peace-talks

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A rebel fighter monitors the surrounding area during clashes with government forces in the Syrian northeastern city of Deir Ezzor, on October 28, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

Russia insisted on Tuesday that Iran must be invited to peace negotiations on Syria that world powers hope to hold in Geneva later this month. “All those who affect the situation must be invited to the conference,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters. "This includes all (...)

#Geneva_II #Top_News

#syria: War in #Qalamoun Didn’t Begin Because It Never Stopped
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syria-war-qalamoun-didn%E2%80%99t-begin-because-it-never-stopped

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A rebel fighter monitors the surrounding area during clashes with government forces in the Syrian northeastern city of Deir Ezzor, on October 28, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud) A rebel fighter monitors the surrounding area during clashes with government forces in the Syrian northeastern city of Deir Ezzor, on October 28, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

It appears that the much-hyped “Great Battle of Qalamoun” will only take (...)

#Mideast_&_North_Africa #Articles #Ghouta #Hezbollah #Lebanon #Syrian_army

#syria peace talks set for late November
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/syria-peace-talks-set-late-november

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An opposition fighter holds a position on the front line in Syria’s northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on October 15, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

International peace talks on the Syria conflict could take place next month, a top Syrian official said Thursday, claiming the long-awaited conference was closer than ever to taking place. Asked at a press conference in Moscow if the talks have been pushed back to late November or early December, Syrian deputy prime (...)

#Top_News

Human rights group says Syrian rebel groups committed war crimes in Latakia
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/human-rights-group-says-syrian-rebel-groups-committed-war-crimes-

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An opposition fighter from the Al-Ikhlas brigade guards a post in #syria's northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on October 9, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

A rights group accused jihadis in Syria of war crimes, saying Friday they killed 190 civilians from President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawi minority, in the largest atrocity attributed to rebels in the conflict. The accusations by Human Rights Watch said another 200 people – the vast majority women and children – were (...)

#HRW #Top_News

#Assad: #turkey will “pay dearly” for backing #syria rebels
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/assad-turkey-will-pay-dearly-backing-syria-rebels

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Members of the Jund al-Rahman Brigade load a home made canon on the front lines of Syria’s northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on October 2, 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned Turkey it will “pay dearly” for supporting rebels fighting to overthrow his government, in an interview broadcast Friday on Turkish television. "In the near future these terrorists will have an impact on Turkey. And Turkey will pay very dearly for its (...)

#Top_News

The Crisis of Capitalism and the End of War
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/crisis-capitalism-and-end-war

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Members of the Jund al-Rahman Brigade (The soldiers of the Merciful) load a home made canon on the front lines of #syria's northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on 2 October 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud) Members of the Jund al-Rahman Brigade (The soldiers of the Merciful) load a home made canon on the front lines of Syria’s northeastern city of Deir Ezzor on 2 October 2013. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Aboud)

America’s experience in (...)

#Opinion #Articles #New_World_Order #Russia #Saudi_Arabia #US