Mahommad Oudeh, the former Palestine Liberation Organization and Black September leader. Adel Hana / AP
Mahommad Oudeh, the former Palestine Liberation Organization and Black September leader. Adel Hana / AP

In Syria, another hardline group gathers strength



In a 2008 documentary by Al Jazeera, two senior Palestinian operatives explained the reasoning behind the establishment of the Black September organisation, ostensibly a splinter group founded in 1971 after the expulsion of Fatah from Jordan.

Ahmad bin Bila spoke of a founding meeting with Salah Khalaf, Fatah’s second man at the time. “He told us: ‘You have a daunting mission ahead of you. The people and the world are saying the revolution is dead and you have to demonstrate that the revolution’s hands are long and that it’s not finished’.”

Bin Bila said the official told them that Fatah would expel the members and disassociate itself from them. The group went on to launch high-profile operations, including kidnapping and murdering 11 Israelis at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

Mohammad Oudeh, the mastermind of the Munich massacre, who died in Syria in 2010, told Al Jazeera: “We thought of creating an organisation, like we did when the Storm Forces was launched, which we called the Storm to protect Fatah. If the Storm failed, Fatah won’t be affected. Likewise, the Black September can do all the dirty work and Fatah stays clean. We set up cells, from fighters we had.”

A similar model might be at play in Syria today. A number of high-level members of Al Qaeda’s recently-rebranded affiliate, Jabhat Fateh Al Sham (formerly Jabhat Al Nusra), seem poised to establish a new faction.

The defectors might revive what the Americans call the Khorassan group – Al Qaeda operatives in Syria focused on foreign operations. The Khorassanites, as Syrian rebels call them, were thought to have been all but wiped out in a series of US air strikes. Intriguingly, the US-led coalition against ISIL launched its first air strikes inside Syria against the Khorassan group, rather than ISIL.

The members announced their defection after Jabhat Fateh Al Sham began talks with Syrian rebel groups to unite under one banner. That Jabhat Fateh Al Sham truly split from Al Qaeda is in dispute. Some members were nonetheless worried that the rebranding would lead to a slippery slope, and they regarded the unity talks with rebels to be a vindication of those fears.

Abu Muhammad Al Maqdisi – a Jordanian ideologue associated with Al Qaeda, and a former mentor of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, the founder of what is now known as ISIL – calls such jihadists in Syria the “hawks”. The hawks include Iyad Al Toubasi, better known as Abu Jelaybib, a Jordanian-Palestinian veteran of the Iraqi insurgency and a brother-in-law of Al Zarqawi. Among the hawks are other Jordanians close to Al Maqdisi, including Bilal Khuraysat, also known as Abu Khadijah.

Another hawk, the Jordanian Sami Al Aridi, Jabhat Al Nusra’s former top cleric, has not yet made his position publicly known. He is close to the defectors but he does not fit the profile of a disgruntled official. He has long been known as close to the leader of Jabhat Fateh Al Sham, as well as to Al Qaeda’s senior leadership. According to sources speaking to Jordanian newspaper Assabeel last September, Al Aridi asked to be relieved of his position several times at around the time he met Khaled Al Aroudi, a senior Al Qaeda member who was released by Iran last year in a swap deal.

Abu Jelaybib, too, is known as a loyalist to the current leader. In March, he was removed from his leadership position in Deraa and was reassigned as the emir in the coastal region. The move was supposedly a response to his behaviour in Deraa, where he was engaged in torture and assassination of rebel rivals. In reality, the new assignment was not a demotion and Abu Khadijah, the other Jordanian defector, was behind his reassignment, which came not long after another founder of Jabhat Al Nusra, Abu Mariyyah Al Qahatni, relocated from Deraa to the north.

Another piece of the puzzle is Farouq Al Suri, who also seemingly left Jabhat Fateh Al Sham following the unity talks. Intriguingly, Al Suri was known as a Khorassanite. An old associate of Zarqawi, Al Suri was announced dead twice, in March last year and April this year. If he is indeed still alive, he could be an important player in any new formulation – primarily because he is a Syrian and a long-standing operative.

The profiles of these individuals follow a pattern: they are well-established Al Qaeda operatives, close associates to the senior members of Al Qaeda released in September, and some of them are close associate of the Jordanian ideologue Al Maqdisi. The relationship between those individuals and the core Al Qaeda leaders, who moved to Syria after their release, is too close and strong for Al Qaeda to agree to a split against their wish. It is simply a risky move for Al Qaeda in terms of loyalty.

Three possible explanations for the defections can be pointed out. Members could be truly disgruntled at the Syrianisation of an Al Qaeda affiliate and wanted out. Another possibility is that they were fearful of the new direction and wanted to establish a front group similar to Black September, to absorb defections and to attract jihadists with groups such as Jund Al Aqsa while Jabhat Fateh Al Sham attracts Syrians with a national agenda. A third possibility is that the members intend to establish a group, also similar to Black September, to revive the so-called Khorassan group.

Regardless of which scenario will play out, one thing is clear: a new organisation is in the making in Syria, and it will be more hardline than the original one.

Hassan Hassan is a resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy and co-author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror

On Twitter: hxhassan

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
RESULT

Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1 
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’

Company%20profile
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Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

Drishyam 2

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?

It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?

Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.

Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver. 

The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.

But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.

Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.

It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.

So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.

Rory Reynolds

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

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
DMZ facts
  • The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
  • It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
  • The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
  • It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
  • Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
  • Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
  • Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012. 
  • Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
The bio:

Favourite film:

Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Favourite holiday destination:

Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.

Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.

Favourite pastime:

Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.

Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.

Personal motto:

Declan: Take chances.

Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.