A year ago, Jabhat Al Nusra rebranded itself as a Syria-first local organisation, having previously been recognised as an official branch of Al Qaeda. The disengagement was framed as a break-up with the global extremist group, but the real reason for the change has remained a subject of debate among observers. Recent events in Idlib provide much-needed clarity about what the jihadist group aimed to achieve with such a move.
After the rebranding, the group shifted strategy. Jabhat Fateh Al Sham, as it was renamed, moved towards a consolidation of its influence in rebel-held areas in the north west. It sought to do so by leading a consortium of rebel factions to break the siege in Aleppo, which it briefly managed to do. The momentum was short-lived and the regime reimposed the siege and, in December, expelled the rebels from eastern Aleppo.
The focus of the group then shifted to Idlib, which it helped capture along with Ahrar Al Sham in spring 2015. A month after the fall of eastern Aleppo, the group changed its name again, and began a more forceful campaign to tighten its grip in that area. For the first time, Ahrar Al Sham, with which it had long had a special relationship, was a target of its campaign.
Tension had risen between the two groups over another jihadist faction — the now-defunct Jund Al Aqsa — that rebels accused of serving as a front for ISIL. After brief clashes between Ahrar Al Sham and Jund Al Aqsa in Hama in October, the latter pledged allegiance to Jabhat Fateh Al Sham. In January, Ahrar Al Sham renewed its calls to bring leaders of Jund Al Aqsa to justice for past acts of murder, which went unheeded.
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Read more:
Al Qaeda’s Syria branch breaks away with new name and flag
Syria’s new rebel alliance threatens Assad’s grip on power
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The biggest friction then took place in late January, when hundreds of Ahrar Al Sham's members defected to the group, now rebranded for the second time under Hayat Tahrir Al Sham. The group under the new name then demanded that other militias join it or face eradication. Some small factions in Idlib sought protection from Ahrar Al Sham. But, by the end of the campaign in February, Hayat Tahrir Al Sham had deeply fragmented its rivals and further increased its dominance in the north west.
A second round of consolidation in Idlib began a week ago. Hayat Tahrir Al Sham cracked down on Ahrar Al Sham, the group that contributed most to its normalisation and integration in the Syrian insurgency. The latest operation followed weeks of reports about a prospective Turkish troop deployment to Idlib as part of a ceasefire monitoring mission, something that Hayat Tahrir Al Sham saw as a threat to its dominance there. The clashes were directly triggered by differences over the control of the Bab Al Hawa border crossing and the raising of the Syrian uprising's "green flag", a byword for moderation in the insurgency today.
The series of events since Jabhat Fateh Al Sham's rebranding a year ago highlight a key aspect of the group's strategy in Syria.
The purpose of disengagement from Al Qaeda was forceful consolidation. After the failure to grab control of the Syrian insurgency through integration, the group shifted its attempts to a campaign that intended to degrade its rivals and absorb some of their disaffected individuals. Although Hayat Tahrir Al Sham differs from ISIL in how it seeks to reach its final objective of establishing an Islamic state, the two groups share a critical strategy: to establish themselves as the only conduit of Sunni militarism. Any viable rivals must be weakened and ultimately eradicated. ISIL did that in Iraq, and Hayat Tahrir Al Sham seeks to do the same in Syria.
According to the announcement made by the group and a representative of Al Qaeda, the rebranding was an "advanced phase" in its operation in Syria. The idea of an advanced phase was once mentioned by Ayman Al Zawahiri, the current leader of Al Qaeda, in a letter to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi in Iraq in 2006. The letter followed a decision by Al Qaeda in Iraq to dissolve itself and form the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC). After Jabhat Al Nusra's rebranding, I compared the move to the establishment of the MSC in Iraq.
Even though the methods are different, the two groups recognise that the single greatest setback to their dominance is the rise of groups or structures that appeal to the same popular base they claim to represent. After the recent campaign, Hayat Tahrir Al Sham has emerged even more dominant than six months ago, and its attempts to dominate are far from over. It will continue to pursue its goal of ensuring no internal rebellion emerges from the areas it currently controls.
Hassan Hassan is a senior fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
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The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
Brief scoreline:
Wolves 3
Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2
Arsenal 1
Papastathopoulos 80'
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Range: 400km
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Torque: 175Nm
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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Company%20Profile
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars