BEIRUT // Showing his face publicly for the first time, the founder of Syria’s Al Qaeda branch Jabhat Al Nusra laid out a quite simple idea in a video statement on Thursday night.
International powers led by the United States and Russia, Abu Mohamed Al Jolani said, use Al Nusra’s affiliation with Al Qaeda to bomb the Syrian people. To strip the international community of this justification – and to help promote unification among groups fighting the Syrian government – Al Nusra would now be called Jabhat Fatah Al Sham and operate with “no affiliation to any external entity”. In short, Al Nusra would no longer be affiliated with Al Qaeda.
If Jolani truly thinks that the rebranding effort can avert air strikes, he is naive: the US has already said it still considered Al Nusra a target despite the name change, and given that Russia attacks mainstream rebel groups that fight the Syrian government, even a fully reformed Al Nusra would remain in its sights.
The bigger significance of the move lies in attempts by the group to bring itself into the rebel fold at a time when Syrian government forces have besieged Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the war. In his video statement, Jolani said Al Nusra was striving to “bridge the gaps between the groups of mujaheddin and ourselves”.
Over the course of the war, Syrian rebel groups have remained divided over Al Nusra’s role despite its successes against Syrian regime forces.
Many view Al Nusra as an integral part of the revolution and are thankful for its battlefield contributions. Rebel factions such as Ahrar Al Sham have remained allies with Al Nusra, cooperating closely with the group. While ISIL is seen by members of the Syrian opposition as a group dominated by outsiders and with more interest in building its caliphate than defeating the Syrian government, Al Nusra is considered by many to be a group focused firmly on unseating Syrian president Bashar Al Assad.
Others in the opposition, however, see no place for Al Nusra in Syria. The group’s Al Qaeda affiliation, its extremist ideology, heavy-handed rule of captured areas and atrocities make it unpalatable.
The rebranding could draw some factions in Syria closer to Al Nusra, particularly if its Al Qaeda affiliation was the main hang-up preventing a deeper relationship.
As the noose tightens around besieged Aleppo, even rebel factions that oppose Al Nusra could come under increasing pressure to work with the strong, well-equipped group to stave off defeat.
For rebel groups in northern Syria, there is the growing feeling that if the battle for Aleppo is lost, the war could be lost as well. For Al Nusra’s detractors, animosity could turn to into cooperation when their survival is at stake.
In distancing itself from Al Qaeda, Al Nusra appears to be trying to break down the barriers between itself and opposition groups at a time when Syria’s rebels need all the help they can get. The move appears to be a power play designed to bring other factions closer to Al Nusra and deepen the opposition’s dependence on the group.
Groups that merge with or unite under Al Nusra could now find themselves the targets of the US-led coalition. With Al Nusra trying to break down the barriers that separate it from the opposition, relationships could become murkier and forces deployed on the battlefield could become even more interspersed.
Claims that Al Nusra – or Jabhat Fatah Al Sham as they now call themselves – has split from Al Qaeda should be taken lightly.
Al Nusra was not a wayward rebel group that found itself adopted by Al Qaeda. Rather, their creation was ordered by Al Qaeda. The only ideology the group has ever had has been that of Al Qaeda.
In the video statement announcing the split, Jolani appeared wearing a camouflage jacket and a white turban, its excess cloth hanging down over his chest. His style clearly mimicked that of Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.
When he spoke, he thanked his “brothers” in Al Qaeda’s leadership for allowing Al Nusra to split. And he went on to quote Bin Laden.
The rebranding does not signify a shift in ideology for the extremist group, but rather an attempt to force rebel groups to welcome them into the mainstream.
jwood@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm)
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm)
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm)
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)
Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm)
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm)
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)
Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Political flags or banners
-
Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
