Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict

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Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict
Date2014–present[6]
Location
Various regions across the world
Status Ongoing
Belligerents

Al-Qaeda

Taliban Taliban
Jemaah Islamiyah[1]
Turkistan Islamic Party[2]
Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan[3][4]
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU anti-IS loyalists)[5]

Islamic State

Commanders and leaders
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Saif al-Adel		 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi
Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi

The Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict is an ongoing conflict between Al-Qaeda and its allied groups, and the Islamic State.

Background[edit]

On 8 April 2013, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, released an audio statement in which he claimed that the Islamic State of Iraq, and Al-Nusra Front, two Al-Qaeda affiliated groups, were merging into one group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[7] Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of al-Nusra Front, and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda, both rejected the merge. Al-Julani claimed that he and all the other al-Nusra leaders had never gave permission to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to merge the groups.[8]

Ayman al-Zawahiri wrote a letter to both Al-Julani and al-Baghdadi, who were both under his command at the time, in which he stated that he does not permit them to merge.[9] He also sent a diplomat to put an end to tensions. al-Baghdadi responded to al-Zawahiri's letter, and declared that he did not need al-Zawahiri's approval to do the merge, and that he was moving forward with the merge either way.[10] The merge happened, with the Islamic State of Iraq and some Al-Nusra fighters merging to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Al-Nusra's leadership, as well as Al-Qaeda, both officially rejected the merge, in which the tension resulted in the newly founded ISIL being isolated from the global jihadist network, which was dominated by Al-Qaeda.[11][12]

In October 2013, months after the merge, al-Zawahiri gave al-Baghdadi a final chance to disband ISIL, and return the jihadist movement in Syria to al-Nusra, and revive the Islamic State of Iraq and let it take control of the jihadist movement in Iraq.[13] al-Baghdadi refused to comply with al-Zawahiri, and ISIL continued to operate in both Iraq and Syria.[10] In February 2014, after eight months of tension, in which ISIL constantly refused to comply with al-Qaeda's demands, al-Qaeda officially disavowed themself from ISIL, and cut all ties with them, beginning their enmity.[14]

On 29 June 2014, ISIL changed its name to the "Islamic State", and declared its lands as a caliphate with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the caliph.[15][16] As a "Caliphate", it claimed authority over all Muslims and Muslim lands worldwide.[17] The Islamic State's claim of being a legitimate Islamic caliphate was rejected by many Muslims, and was also rejected by Al-Qaeda.[18][19][20][21][22]

The Islamic State was described as being "far more ruthless" than al-Qaeda.[23] For example, while Al-Qaeda considers Shia Muslims to be apostates, they have also condemned the Islamic State's killing sprees against Shias. Osama bin Laden had also wanted to establish a Sunni-Shia alliance to counter the supposed Jewish-Christian alliance which allegedly was made to fight Islam. The Islamic State has a zero-tolerance policy for Shias.[24]

Conflict[edit]

Since its establishment, the Islamic State has been engaged in a propaganda war with Al-Qaeda and its allied groups. In 2016, the Islamic State's constant propaganda and takfir against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban had reached a point to which it was referred to as an "obsession".[25] The Al-Qaeda–Islamic State conflict had also been referred to as the "Jihadist civil war".[26]

Also since the establishment of the Islamic State, many Al-Qaeda affiliated groups became fractured, with certain factions of the groups pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, while the rest opposed the Islamic State. These groups include Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan,[3] Boko Haram,[27] the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan,[28] Caucasus Emirate,[29] Abu Sayyaf,[30] Ansar Bait al-Maqdis,[31] and Al-Shabaab.[32]

The first instance of the conflict between the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliates, was during the Islamic State's rise in Iraq in 2014. Prior to the Islamic State, the vast majority of Kurdish jihadists joined Ansar al-Islam, and when the Islamic State got closer to the Kurdish-majority northern Iraq, Ansar al-Islam considered it a challenge to their dominance in the region, and began attacking Islamic State positions. The clashes continued for months, with unreported casualties on both sides, until a large number of Ansar al-Islam militants switched their allegiance to the Islamic State, which weakened Ansar al-Islam and led to a decline in its popularity.[33][34][35] In 2018, Ansar al-Islam largely relocated to Syria and joined the short-lived RBOR, an Al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist coalition which fought against the Islamic State in the Syrian civil war.[36]

In January 2015, the Islamic State – Yemen Province began growing and challenging the hegemony of AQAP, the Yemeni faction of Al-Qaeda. These two groups continued to clash throughout the Yemeni civil war.[37]

The Islamic State–Taliban conflict started in early February 2015, when the Islamic State – Khorasan Province came to Afghanistan, killing a Taliban commander in the process. The Taliban responded by killing or capturing over 65 Islamic State militants.[38][39]

Al-Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State fight against each other in the Syrian civil war, at the same time while fighting the Syrian opposition.[40] Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State also fight on opposing sides in the Mali War and the Boko Haram insurgency.[41]

During the Derna campaign, pro-Al-Qaeda militants successfully broke the Islamic State in Libya's siege on Derna and began fighting the Islamic State all around Libya.[42]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jemaah Islamiyah: Still Southeast Asia's Greatest Terrorist Threat". thediplomat.com.
  2. ^ says, Telh. "Turkistan Islamic Party leader criticizes the Islamic State's 'illegitimate' caliphate | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org.
  3. ^ a b "The Islamic State's curious cover story | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. January 5, 2015. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  4. ^ says, Jeff Logan (June 20, 2014). "Ansar al Islam claims attacks against Iraqi military, police | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  5. ^ says, Pat Stevens. "Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan faction emerges after group's collapse | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org.
  6. ^ Sly, Liz (2023-05-17). "Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  7. ^ "ISI Confirms That Jabhat Al-Nusra Is Its Extension in Syria, Declares 'Islamic State of Iraq And Al-Sham' As New Name of Merged Group". MEMRI. Middle East Media Research Institute. 8 April 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Al-Nusra Commits to al-Qaida, Deny Iraq Branch 'Merger'". Naharnet. Agence France-Presse. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  9. ^ Atassi, Basma (9 June 2013). "Qaeda chief annuls Syrian-Iraqi jihad merger". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  10. ^ a b Atassi, Basma (15 June 2013). "Iraqi al-Qaeda chief rejects Zawahiri orders". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Al-Qaeda in Iraq confirms Syria's Nusra Front is part of its network". Al Arabiya. 9 April 2013. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022.
  12. ^ Abouzeid, Rania (23 June 2014). "The Jihad Next Door: The Syrian roots of Iraq's newest civil war". Politico. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Zawahiri disbands main Qaeda faction in Syria". The Daily Star. Beirut, Lebanon. 8 November 2013. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  14. ^ Sly, Liz (2023-05-17). "Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  15. ^ Lawrence, Jessica. "Iraq crisis: Could an ISIS caliphate ever govern the entire Muslim world?". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  16. ^ Withnall, Adam (29 June 2014). "Iraq crisis: Isis changes name and declares its territories a new Islamic state with 'restoration of caliphate' in Middle East". The Independent. London.
  17. ^ "What does ISIS' declaration of a caliphate mean?". Al Akhbar English. 30 June 2014. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2014. See also: Kadi, Wadad; Shahin, Aram A. (2013). "Caliph, caliphate". In Bowering (ed.). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought.
  18. ^ Moore, Jack (2 July 2014). "Iraq Crisis: Senior Jordan Jihadist Slams Isis Caliphate". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  19. ^ "United Nations Official Document". United Nations. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  20. ^ Pugliese, David. "Details about the Canadian government's motion about going to war against ISIL". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  21. ^ "Australia says ready to strike ISIL in Iraq". Al Jazeera. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  22. ^ "Statement by the President on ISIL". whitehouse.gov. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014 – via National Archives.
  23. ^ Birke, Sarah (27 December 2013). "How al-Qaeda Changed the Syrian War". New York Review of Books.
  24. ^ "ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: Jihadism's global civil war". Brookings. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  25. ^ "The Islamic State's obsession with al Qaeda and the Taliban | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org.
  26. ^ "ISIS vs. Al Qaeda: Jihadism's global civil war". Brookings. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
  27. ^ Chandler, Adam (March 9, 2015). "Boko Haram Pledges Allegiance to the Islamic State". The Atlantic.
  28. ^ Sharipzhan, Merhat (August 6, 2015). "IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State" – via www.rferl.org.
  29. ^ "The Petersburg Jihadi Attack in Context: Recent Developments in Jihadism in Russia, 2014–2017". Russian and Eurasian Politics. 7 April 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  30. ^ Ressa, Maria (August 4, 2014). "Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS".
  31. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D. (November 10, 2014). "Militant Group in Egypt Vows Loyalty to ISIS" – via NYTimes.com.
  32. ^ "Islamic State in Somalia claims capture of port town | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org.
  33. ^ "تساؤلات بعد "بيعة" أنصار الإسلام لتنظيم الدولة". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  34. ^ "IS disciplines some emirs to avoid losing base – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. 2014-09-02. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
  35. ^ "Jihadist Group Swears Loyalty to Islamic State – Middle East – News". Arutz Sheva. 29 August 2014. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  36. ^ "Military groups calling themselves "the finest factions of the Levant" form joint operations room". Syria Call. 15 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  37. ^ Todd, Brian (2015-01-21). "ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  38. ^ Shah, David Sterman, Neeli (2024-02-22). "ISIS Reportedly Kills Afghan Taliban Commander; Modi to Visit China; Pakistan Tests Cruise Missile". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2024-02-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ "ISIS active in south Afghanistan, officials confirm for first time - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2015-01-12. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  40. ^ "Jund al Aqsa leaders join Al Nusrah Front | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  41. ^ Writer, Conor Gaffey Staff (2017-03-03). "African Jihadi Groups Unite in Troubled Sahel Region". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  42. ^ "Al-Qaida-linked militants attack IS affiliate in Libya". Associated Press. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.

Further reading[edit]

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