Nusra Front leader in Syria
The leader of the Nusra Front in Syria said in a recording aired Thursday that his group is changing its name, claiming it will have no more ties with al-Qaida in an attempt to undermine a potential U.S. and Russian air campaign against its fighters.
The move is the first time an entire branch of al-Qaida has said it is leaving the terror network. But it took place with the endorsement of al-Qaida’s central leadership, and its ideology remains the same, raising questions whether the change really goes beyond the new name, the Levant Conquest Front.
The U.S considers the Nusra Front a terror group, and the step could complicate U.S. efforts in Syria.
Without the al-Qaida name, the group will now seek to expand its alliances with other Syrian rebels, including ones backed by the U.S. and its allies. Those factions may then oppose international airstrikes against Nusra Front fighters, arguing that they are now fellow rebels against President Bashar Assad.
Abu Mohammed alGolani made the announcement in a video aired on the Syrian opposition station Orient TV and Al-Jazeera.