Category Archives: Syria

US Targets Khorasan Group

On 22 September, the US began targeted strikes against ISIS in Syria, and conducted a separate mission to target the “Khorasan group.” The Khorasan group, a.k.a Jabhat al-Nusra (JAN) is a militant group which according to the Pentagon, is comprised of seasoned al Qaeda veterans.

The Khorasan group has gained public attention in the past week; however they are believed to have been operating in Syria for over a year. U.S. Central Command believes the core group, which has fewer than 100 members, is using the anarchy in Syria to create a haven from which to “plot attacks, build and test roadside bombs and recruit Westerners to carry out operations.” Michael Leiter, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said, “Khorasan is less of a threat to the region and more of a threat to the U.S. homeland than ISIS.” The group is known to be actively recruiting Westerners for plots against American and European interests. Recently, the group was known to be working bomb makers from al Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate to test new ways to slip explosives past airport security. Earlier this year, a recent ban on uncharged mobile phones arose from information that al Qaeda was working with Khorasan.

The name Khorasan is an ancient Islamic historical term used to describe the areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. The group have been known to be operating in Syria for the past year, led by 33 year old Muhsin al Fadhli. In 2012, the US State Department offered a $7 million reward for information on Fadhli’s whereabouts. He was known to be an al Qaeda financier with ties to Osama bin Laden, and among the few who knew in advance about the 9/11 attacks. Fadhli arrived in Syria in April 2013 and joined with al-Nusra Front, however at some point in the past year, they parted ways. It is believed the Khorasan Group is mimicking the social media tactics used by ISIS to recruit Westerners, with the goal of training them and sending them home to target locales in the West.

The US Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that they had been watching Fadhli and the group for some time, and believed they were “nearing the execution phase of an attack either in Europe or the homeland.” The intelligence community discovered the plots against the United States in the past week, but did not identify the target. Sources did add that the plot may have involved a bomb made of clothes dipped in explosive material.

On 23 September, the US dropped 40 Tomahawk missiles, striking eight targets to the west of Aleppo. The targets were believed to be Khorasan group strongholds. The US is currently assessing whether Fadhli was killed in the airstrikes. One anonymous US official stated “We believe he is dead,” however it has not been independently confirmed, and such confirmation could take time.

The U.S. attack on Khorasan Group targets this were a strategic surprise, as the US intended to catch the group off guard by mixing strikes against ISIS with strikes against Khorasan group targets.

Key al-Qaeda Branches Call for Unity Against US-led Strikes on IS

Two of al-Qaeda’s most prominent branches in North Africa and Yemen issued an unprecedented joint statement Tuesday, calling for jihadists operating in Syria and Iraq to join forces against the threat emanating from the US-led coalition that is targeting Islamic State (IS) fighters in the region. The statement comes as a supporter of IS militants warned of attacks against the United States and its allies.

Al-Qaeda Branches Issue Joint Statement

Two of al-Qaeda’s most prominent branches in North Africa and Yemen issued an unprecedented joint statement Tuesday, calling for jihadists operating in Syria and Iraq to join forces against the threat emanating from the US-led coalition that is targeting Islamic State (IS) fighters in the region.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) urged their “brothers” in Iraq and Syria to “stop killing each other and unite against the American campaign and its evil coalition that threatens us all.” AQIM and AQAP have also called on the citizens of ten Arab countries that have joined the coalition to prevent their governments from acting against the terrorist group, which has recently achieved lightening territorial advances in Iraq and Syria. AQAP and AQIM have also promised “dark days” to the “alliance of infidelity and evil,” and have urged Syrian rebels to keep up their fight against President Bashar al-Assad, warning them to “beware of being tricked by America…and thus being diverted from your path” and becoming its “pawns.”

Tuesday’s joint statement however marked a significant change in al-Qaeda’s strategy as under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor, al-Qaeda disavowed IS. Both the Yemeni-based AQAP, which is seen by Washington as the network’s most dangerous branch, and AQIM have rejected IS’ June declaration of an Islamic caliphate, adding that they remained loyal to al-Zawahiri. Al-Qaeda also has its own branch, the al-Nursa front, that operates in Syria. While the network’s joint statement called for differences to be set aside in the face of a new growing coalition, the statement did not explicitly offer support for IS. Instead it is likely an attempt by al-Qaeda’s affiliates to maintain relevant in Washington and within IS. Similar statements of solidarity issued by other Islamist militant groups will likely surface as the US continues airstrikes in the region, however such statements do not necessarily mean that global support for IS is growing.

IS Supporter Warns of Attack Against US and Allies

A supporter of IS militants has warned of attacks on the United States and its allies if they continue to carry out military action against the group in Iraq and Syria. The message, which was posted on the Minbar Jihadi Media website, a well-known Islamist militant online forum, is just one of a few responses from supporters of IS to last week’s announcement by Washington indicating that it was preparing to extend airstrikes against the group into Syria.

The message condemned “intervention in the affairs of other peoples,” adding that “it will lead to an equal reaction of the same strength in targeting the American depth and also the nations allied to it and in all aspects.” The posting, by a supporter referred to as “Amir al-Thul,” also stated “I directed a sternly worded warning to each of those nations involved with America, or that are allied with it in their war against the Islamic Caliphate, that their local and international interests will be legitimate targets.”

While the message also called on the public in the US and its allies to oppose government actions against the group, it remains unclear what influence, if any, the author has on the actions of IS.

CIA revises ISIS numbers

On 12 September, a CIA assessment revealed that ISIS ranged has the capacity to muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria. This number is three times higher than the previous estimates, which indicated that there were approximately 10,000 militants fighting for the group. According to the CIA, the sharp increase is the result of stronger recruitment after ISIS conducted a battlefield campaign across northern Iraq, gaining a large swath of territory and declaring a caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

The information released from the report does not appear to specify who is considered a ‘fighter’, such as women or youths. Mowaffak al-Rubaie, a former Iraqi national security adviser and current parliament member said that ISIS is targeting youths “as young as 8 and 9 years old,” giving them AK-47s and brainwashing them with “this evil ideology.” Al-Rubaie added that this was similar to the method that al Qaeda in Iraq recruited in the past, but on a larger scale.

The CIA report does not suggest whether the fighters are actually members of ISIS, or militants currently fighting against the Syrian government, but could be called upon to fight with ISIS. According to the report, approximately 15,000 foreign fighters have joined the militant group, representing some 80 countries. The number includes as many as 2,000 Westerners. Al-Rubaie estimates that among foreign fighters, Iraqis and Syrians comprise over 70%, adding that “thousands” of Iraqis joined ISIS after their capture of Mosul in June.

It is believed that many fighters have crossed into ISIS-controlled territory in northern Iraq through Turkey. It is expected that they could permeate the borders of Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, causing elevated national security threats in those nations.

The revised estimate of fighters comes after a series of unmanned reconnaissance flights over the region. The US has increased the number of surveillance flights to nearly 60 per day over Iraq, in order to gather intelligence regarding whether and where to launch airstrikes in the region. The Pentagon has also announced it would begin “armed and manned” flights for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance purposes. The crafts would fly from the Kurdish regional capital, Erbil, as supplements to the unmanned flights.

Pentagon spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby, said the increased estimates will not alter how the United States approaches ISIS, stating,” We’re not just simply about degrading and destroying … the 20 to 30,000 (ISIS fighters). It’s about degrading and destroying their capabilities to attack targets, particularly Western targets. It’s about destroying their ideology.” One unnamed US official said the military can launch airstrikes at any time if there is a ‘target of opportunity’. The US has already conducted over 150 airstrikes against ISIS. Additional tactics would involve targeting the group’s leadership, which the US has not yet done.

A coalition of nations has been assembled with the aim of eroding the power of ISIS, and eventually destroying the group. Nearly 40 nations have joined the coalition; however it is unknown what specific roles each nation will play. In large part, members of the coalition have agreed to send equipment and/or humanitarian aid, or conduct surveillance missions, but none have committed to putting boots on the ground. Those who are willing to engage in ground battle include Iraqi Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces and other indigenous forces from Syria and Iraq, including trained Syrian rebels, Iraqi forces, Kurdish forces and Sunni tribes.

Within the regional vicinity, Turkey is working to cut the financial flow to ISIS, and has denied entry and deported ‘several thousand foreign fighters heading to Syria to join the extremists’. Jordan has agreed to provide intelligence to the West. It is thought that Saudi Arabia, which has already provided $500 toward UN humanitarian efforts, will also host anti-ISIS training camps. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt have been urged to use their television networks to spread anti-ISIS messages as well as encouraging clerics to speak out against the group. The Egyptian government has met with US Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the “critical role” Egypt will play in countering ISIS ideology, however no public details have been released. Last week, Egypt’s grand mufti, the highest ranking Islamic scholar in the land, condemned ISIS and underscored that their actions are not in line with Islam. Qatar has conducted a number of humanitarian flights.

Iran has declined to join the coalition. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei tweeted that he rejected cooperating with the United States “because (the) US has corrupted its hands in this issue.” Khamanei has vocally accused the United States of planning to use military action against ISIS to “dominate the region.” The absence of Iran in the coalition may put other nations at ease; Iran has been in conflict with Turkey, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia for years.

Nations outside of the Middle East that will join the coalition include Australia, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Albania, Croatia, New Zealand, Romania and South Korea.

Fiji peacekeepers held hostage in Syria, Demands Issued

On 24 August, al Nusra Front, a Syrian-based militant group, stormed the Quneitra crossing on the border between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights. A day later, the insurgents kidnapped 45 Fijian UN peacekeepers. The hostages are currently being held at an undisclosed location the Golan Heights.

Al Nusra has posted a statement online, claiming that the peacekeepers “are in a safe place and in good health, and everything they need in terms of food and medicine is given to them.” The statement was accompanied by a photo, believed to be the captured Fijians in their military uniforms, along with 45 identification cards. The soldiers were part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), and were stationed in a buffer zone to monitor a 1974 ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel.

On 2 September, the Fiji government has released he list of demands that have been made for the safe return of the peacekeeper hostages. Fijian Army Chief Mosese Tikoitoga states that the rebels have made four demands:

• The militants want al Nusra front removed from the United Nations list of terrorist organisations
• They seek humanitarian aid for a town outside of Damascus, which is an al Nusra stronghold.
• They demand compensation for three fighters who were recently injured

Unconfirmed reports add that the insurgents have also demanded the release of an al-Qaeda leader, Abu Mussab al-Suri (a.k.a. Mustafa Setmariam Nasar). Al-Suri is an al-Qaeda leader who is currently being held in Syria. He was initially arrested in Pakistan in 2005.

The UN Security Council has condemned the kidnapping and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages. A United Nations negotiations team has landed in the Golan Heights to negotiate with the militants for the return of the hostages, whose location is unknown. Apart from the online statement, the al Nusra kidnappers have provided assurances of the hostages’ safety to the Fiji government, adding that the victims had been taken away from combat areas.

Several nations, including Austria, Japan, and Croatia, have withdrawn peacekeeping forces in light of deteriorating security as the Syrian war rages on, amplified by militant groups combating one another for regional primacy. Tikoitoga believes that rather than pulling out forces, the there should be an increase in forces in Syria, adding, “We will not make any recommendations of pulling out from the UN or any other engagement, because our contribution to UN peacekeeping – if we don’t want to do this, then who else in the world would want to do this?”

Filipino Peacekeepers Escape to Safety

In the Philippines, the government has also decided they will not renew peacekeeping operations in the region following the attack on 75 Filipino peacekeepers over the weekend. On Thursday, the Al Nusra rebels seized the Fijian peacekeepers and surrounded two UN encampments with Filipino troops, demanding they lay down their weapons and surrender. The forces refused, and by Saturday both encampments were engaged in fighting with the rebels. At the Breiqa encampment, over 35 peacekeepers were escorted to safety by Irish and Filipino forces with armoured vehicles.

The remaining 40 Filipino peacekeepers at the Rwihana encampment were surrounded by over 100 militant gunmen attempted to enter the base, where approximately 40 Filipino peacekeepers had been stationed. The gunmen attempted to force entry into the camp by ramming the gates with trucks and firing mortar rounds. The Filipino contingency returned fire in self-defence. Fighting lasted for approximately seven hours, interspersed with Syrian government forces firing upon the militants from a distance, in an effort to distract the militants. Shortly after midnight on Sunday, a ceasefire took hold. The UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) states that the remaining 40 peacekeepers fled the encampment in the cover of night and “arrived in a safe location one hour later.” There were no Filipino casualties in the fighting. The evacuation has been dubbed “The Great Escape”.

Defying Orders

According to the UN peacekeeping mandate, UN peacekeepers must only use force as a last resort. If peacekeepers are acting in self-defence, they ‘may use force at the tactical level, with the authorization of the Security Council.”

The Philippine military, seeks the investigation of a U.N. peacekeeping commander in the Golan Heights who asked Filipino troops to surrender to the al Nusra rebels. Filipino General Gregorio Pio Catapang defied the commander’s orders, telling the 40 Filipino peacekeepers not to lay down their arms.

The UN commander of the UNDOF, whose name has not been released, was overseeing talks with the militants who had captured the Fijian peacekeepers. Catapang refused to agree to any resolution that would put Filipino troops in grave danger. He added, “I told them not to follow the order because that is a violation of our regulation, that we do not surrender our firearms, and, at the same time, there is no assurance that you will be safe after you give your firearms […] Our stand is, we will not allow our soldiers to become sacrificial pawns in order to save the Fijians. They should look for other ways and means to save the Fijians.”

Catapang seeks an investigation in order for the UNDOF commander to explain his request for surrender, while simultaneously allowing the Philippine military to explain why the peacekeepers were told to defy orders. The Philippines have announced that they will not deploy a new contingent when their stint expires in October. Their decision to withdraw has further weakened UN peacekeeping operations in a region where rising militant attacks have caused several nations to remove troops.

PKK and the battle against ISIS

The battle against ISIS has created strange bedfellows.  Most recently, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has joined the fight against the militants. The PKK is formally classified as terrorists due decades of fighting against Turkey for an independent Kurdistan. The conflict killed over 40,000 people between 1984 and 2013. Today, the PKK is working on the same side as Turkey to stop the advance of ISIS, while simultaneously lobbying the international community to remove their terrorist designation.  The group has claimed their determination to work with other governments and groups to see the elimination of ISIS.  One PKK fighter said, “This war will continue until we finish off [ISIS).”  Another stated, “ISIS is a danger to everyone, so we must fight them everywhere.” The PKK’s role in battling ISIS presents a mixed bag for Turkey and the international community. While the group is still considered a terrorist threat, and the PKK has accused Turkey of funding fighters against the Kurds in Syria; an allegation that the Turkish government denies. Yet, they are the ‘lesser’ threat in the face of ISIS. PKKs efforts have been successful in fending ISIS off from Erbil, and have sent forces to Kirkuk and Jalawla. Their armed sister group, the People’s Defence Units (YPG) have successfully protected their autonomous region in Syria, and assisted in evacuating thousands of Yazidis from Mount Sinjar, where they had fled from ISIS. The evacuees had been trapped out the mountain with minimal food or water, relying on airdrops for supplies. However, PKK members are not fighting for Turkey, Syria, Iran or Iraq; they are fighting for Kurdistan, a state which is seeking autonomy for lands that cross each of these nations. Further, the PKK represents a threat to the existing Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) which is a long time competitor of the PKK. For now, however, Kurdish Peshmerga, under the KDP umbrella, are working with the PKK and national forces against ISIS, which is heavily armed with weapons from abandoned stockpiles in their captured zones. However KDP leaders fear that PKK involvement in engagement against ISIS will hinder opportunities to gain national autonomy in the long run. In the short run, PKK involvement could prevent nations from sending much needed weaponry to the Peshmerga. Turkish officials have resisted addressing the significance of a resurgent PKK, or the possibility that their involvement will reignite tensions in Turkey, or between Turkey and Kurdistan. One official said, “There is no fear of a division in Turkey or a fear of unification of the Kurdish population outside of Turkey. Since there are no demands through armed conflict or violence from the PKK in Turkey, there is no need to panic.” Currently the PKK is opting for slowly decreasing national powers in the Kurdish region, eventually gaining their autonomy. Further their actions in the fight against ISIS are perceived to be a push toward persuading the international community to remove their terrorist designation. The EU, for its part, will not act without Turkish approval, which is unlikely to be forthcoming. Meanwhile in Syria, ISIS has clashed with Assad’s forces in Aleppo, and Raqqah. ISIS considers Raqqah the ‘capital’ of their state; weapons confiscated in Iraq have been steadily making their way into the city. Raqaa approximately 25 miles from a Syrian-controlled airbase at al Tabaqa, the last remaining government forces in the ISIS controlled zone. Assad’s military has carried out at least a dozen airstrikes, reportedly killing tens of ISIS fighters, and has also sent reinforcements to al Tabaqa. Analysts have differed as to the size of territory ISIS holds. Some believe ISIS has control of approximately 11,000 square miles of territory, roughly the size of Belgium. Others believe ISIS has influence in as much as 35,000 square miles of territory, roughly the size of Jordan. It is believed that 6,300 fighters joined ISIS in July. Among that number, an estimated 5,000 are Syrian, and the remaining are Arab, European, Caucasian, East Asian and Kurdish. It is believed that as many as 1,100 of the 1,300 foreign fighters entered Syria via Turkey. Among ISIS’ most recent recruits, many joined from other radicalised groups such as the al-Qaeda backed Al Nusrah Front, and the Islamic Front. Al Nusrah, the Islamic Front, and Ansar al Din are fighting a battle on two fronts: they are opposed to ISIS and opposed to Bashar al Assad, and clash with both.