Recent developments regarding \u201crebel\u201d groups inside Syria have shed further light on the ideologies and political aims of the militants waging war upon the Syrian state.<\/i><\/p>\n
On the 24th September, under the moniker of the \u201cIslamist Alliance\u201d, 11 of the largest and most recognisable rebel brigades \u2013 a mix of supposed \u201cmoderate Islamists\u201d such as Liwa al-Tawhid, the largest \u201cFSA\u201d-branded brigade in Aleppo, alongside more hardline Salafi\/Jihadi brigades such as Ahrar al-Sham, and Al Qaeda ideologues Jahbat al-Nusra – released a joint statement<\/a> denouncing the western-backed expatriates of the \u201cNational Coalition\u201d (NC), along with its equally impotent military arm, the \u201cSupreme Military Council\u201d (SMC). Following this statement of intent, on the 29th of September, up to 50 rebel groups operating primarily in the area of Damascus merged to form Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam). The Damascus merger also included a wide-ranging demographic of militant groups, from the supposed \u201cmoderate\u201d, to overt Salafist hardliners. Jaish al-Islam is dominated by Liwa al-Islam, a large rebel group formerly of \u201cFSA\u201d branding, and led by Saudi-backed Zahran Alloush. Liwa al-Islam were also a signatory to the aforementioned statement of denunciation toward the western-backed political opposition.<\/p>\n These announcements have effectively put-to-bed the western propagated myth that was the \u201cFree Syrian Army\u201d. Militant groups the west ostensibly touted as \u201csecular moderates\u201d yearning for \u201cfreedom and democracy\u201d from a tyrannical regime; have now openly declared their Salafi\/Jihadi fundamentalist ideology, with the ultimate aim of creating a Syrian state ruled by Islamic law.<\/p>\n Already, these announcements are being portrayed<\/a> as an attempt by Saudi Arabia \u2013 yes, ever tolerant and inclusive Wahhabi-preaching Saudi Arabia \u2013 and other leading Salafi factions supporting the insurgency to steer \u201cvetted, or moderate Salafi\u201d rebels away from the Al Qaeda aligned groups; particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), who are now portrayed as simply \u201cforeign jihadists\u201d and have become the leading fall-guy in Western and Gulf media for every atrocity committed by the rebels. This false perception has been built as a result of a Western and Gulf initiated public relations campaign<\/a> to \u201cmoderate\u201d the image of the Salafi\/Jihadi fundamentalists (aswell as those more inclined to basic criminality, killing, and destruction) who may be more willing to meet the requirements of their Gulf donors and the United States. Yet, contrary to this divisive narrative, the same \u201cmoderate\u201d Salafi\u2019s who are now supposedly being encouraged to\u00a0 disassociate from their Al Qaeda affiliates have happily fought alongside \u2013 more often than not as a junior partner \u2013 the West\u2019s supposed \u201cnumber one enemy\u201d (AQ) since the insurgency began in 2011.<\/p>\n In further contrast to the aforementioned \u201cAwakening\u201d narrative, Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN) \u2013 the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda ideologues \u2013 are still very much in the mix. Although various pundits and analysts have made efforts to publicise tensions between ISIS and JaN, the two groups still share a similar JIhadist ideology and cooperate in key areas, particularly on paramilitary operations; as do the hardline Salafi groups such as Ahrar Al-Sham, who in turn fully cooperate with the western friendly \u201cmoderates\u201d who now form the backbone of Jaish al-Islam. In the recent ISIS takeover of the \u201cFSA\u201d held town of Azaz from the western-friendly Northern Storm brigade (of John McCain fame<\/a>), Liwa al-Tahwid quickly offered to broker a ceasefire and acted as interlocutor between the two warring factions. ISIS in turn, rejected any \u201cFSA\u201d authority and have since taken control of the town \u2013 not that Liwa al-Tahwid could have stopped them anyway. These events directly contradict the notion that the new \u201cArmy of Islam\u201d is in any rush to disassociate, let alone be able to wage war upon the ISIS or its extremist affiliates. Moreover, the leader of Jaish al-Islam, Zahran Alloush, publicly disowned his own \u201ccaptain\u201d after he warned ISIS there would be open conflict if they \u201ccontinued this chaos\u201d. The leader claimed that the comments were \u201cdangerous\u201d and designed to \u201ccause strife between muslims\u201d.<\/p>\n Furthermore, in a recent interview<\/a> (Preview) with Al Jazeera, Alloush, free of his \u201cmoderate\u201d chains, lets loose on his ideals for a future Syria, in which he aspires to resurrect the Umayyad Empire (2nd Islamic Caliphate with Syria at its core and Damascus as its capital), and \u201ccleanse\u201d Damascus of \u201cMajous\u201d (pejorative Arabic term for Iranians) \u201cRafideh\u201d (Shi\u2019ites) and \u201cNusayris\u201d (Alawites). Rebel leaders espousing openly sectarian rhetoric has been a running theme throughout the conflict; in line with this trend, Alloush\u2019s statement can be taken as a clear indication that his new \u201cJaish al-Islam\u201d is not in the least bit concerned with abiding by a western-friendly moderate image. Alloush, like the majority of rebel leaders, is a fundamentalist Salafist, who looks on at the minorities of Syria as kafir (unbelievers) who must submit to his interpretation of Salafi Islam or be killed.<\/p>\n The western\/Gulf media narrative surrounding this new \u201cIslamist Alliance\u201d is a re-hash of failed PR campaigns of the past ; attempting to mitigate the inherent fundamentalist ideologies of the insurgents waging war upon the Syrian state. Syria has been a pluralistic secular society for decades, the majority of its Sunni muslim population are conservative and have coexisted peacefully alongside the many other religions and ethnic minorities that make up Syria\u2019s diverse society, history, and culture. The people of Syria do not aspire to a Saudi sponsored Salafi\/Wahhabi leadership or doctrine of law. Contrary to the popular narrative emerging in western and Gulf media that this new force will represent an indigenous \u201cmoderate Islamist\u201d coalition capable of taking on the foreign elements and Al Qaeda, the majority of Syrians will be repelled by the sectarian language and ideologies of Zohran Alloush, his groups overt affiliations and pandering to Al Qaeda ideologues, and his \u201cArmy of Islam\u201d.<\/p>\n Considering the above context, the narrative of home-grown<\/a> (Preview) Salafis somehow being more amenable to the Syrian population than their ISIS\/JaN fundamentalist colleagues becomes even less tenable. Alloush\u2019s formation of Jaish al-Islam, alongside the \u201cIslamist Alliance\u201d denunciation of the western-backed political opposition, show a marked shift of the insurgency further toward the Al Qaeda ideologues fighting the Syrian regime, not further away from them.<\/p>\n ________________________<\/p>\n Phil Greaves<\/i> is a UK based writer\/analyst, focusing on UK\/US Foreign Policy and conflict analysis in the Middle East post WWII. http:\/\/notthemsmdotcom.wordpress.com\/<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n