Syria's Al-Nusra Front Changes Name After Announcing Break from Al-Qaeda

Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of Syria's Al-Nusra Front, announced the group's separation from Al-Qaeda and its reorganization under the new name 'Jabhat Fath al-Sham' in a video aired on the Orient network on Thursday, August 7. In response, the United States stated that this move could merely be a 'name change' and that Washington would judge based on the group's actions and objectives. For the first time, Abu Muhammad al-Julani's face was seen in the video, as he had previously concealed his identity during interviews. Al-Julani stated that the aim of establishing the new organization is 'to establish God's religion, implement Sharia, achieve justice among people, and strive to unite groups to consolidate the Mujahideen so that we can liberate the land of Sham from the rule of tyrants and eliminate the regime and its allies.' Hours before al-Julani's announcement, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda, sent a voice message to Al-Nusra Front, stating that the group could sacrifice its organizational ties to maintain solidarity and continue the fight in Syria. Al-Zawahiri added, 'The Islamic brotherhood we share is stronger than any organizational relationship that can be diminished or changed. Your solidarity and brotherhood are more important and valuable than any organizational relationship.' Reuters reported that Al-Nusra's announcement of separation from Al-Qaeda could pave the way for increased support from some Gulf Arab countries, including Qatar, for this group. This move could also bring Al-Nusra closer to other groups opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In response to al-Julani's announcement, John Kirby, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said that Al-Nusra's announcement could 'simply be a name change,' and the United States would judge based on 'objectives, behaviors, and beliefs.' The White House also stated that its assessment of Al-Nusra had not changed despite the news of its break from Al-Qaeda. Josh Earnest, a White House spokesperson, said, 'We still have increasing concerns about Al-Nusra's growing capabilities to carry out attacks abroad that could pose a threat to the United States and Europe.' Al-Nusra is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. This group was formed about five years ago, shortly after protests against Bashar al-Assad's regime began. The United Nations Security Council has sanctioned Al-Nusra. This is not the first time the possibility of Al-Nusra's separation from Al-Qaeda has been raised. Last year, sources told Reuters that Al-Nusra leaders were considering severing ties with Al-Qaeda to form a new group supported by some Gulf Arab countries aimed at overthrowing Bashar al-Assad's regime. In recent days, some analysts and social media accounts close to Al-Nusra had reported on the group's direction towards severing ties with Al-Qaeda. This step comes ahead of a potential agreement between the U.S. and Russia to coordinate military actions against the Islamic State group known as ISIS and Al-Nusra. In this context, the Syrian and Russian plan to open a 'safe route' for civilians and militants to exit the city of Aleppo is also significant.