The Islamic State is "not a branch of Al Qaeda," has no "organizational relationship" with Al Qaeda and its actions cannot be linked to Al Qaeda, declared a blunt statement issued by Al Qaeda's Pakistain-based central command. The statement was posted on several jihadist websites early Monday.
Not only did Al Qaeda not endorse the Islamic State's creation, the statement said, but it previously ordered the group to cease operations, without success.
Today, the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, boasts a territorial influence that stretches from Anbar province in Iraq to the rebel held stretches of northern Syria. Its ranks in Syria are reported to include thousands of non-Syrians, including other Arab nationals, Europeans and Russians who have flocked to Syria to perform "jihad." The Islamic State's trademark weapon is the suicide boom-mobile.
The public rebuke came after months of friction between Al Qaeda's leadership and the Islamic State. The latter group spun off from the former Islamic State of Iraq, which was established as the krazed killer group's franchise in Iraq. In April 2013, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria declared its birth, saying it had merged with a krazed killer faction known as Al Nusra Front. That faction had gained notoriety for its car kabooms inside Syria.
But Al Nusra Front officials and Al Qaeda's leader, Ayman
Zawahiri... Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as
the real brains of the outfit.Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area. That is not a horn growing from the middle of his forehead, but a prayer bump, attesting to how devout he is...
, rejected the merger as a power play.
Since then, the Islamic State has earned a reputation for targeting other rebel groups it accuses of apostasy, implementing its extreme interpretation of Islam in the areas it controls, and abusing civilian supporters of the opposition.
| Apostatizing for fun and profit... |
| This is, of course, a good thing. |