An offshoot of al-Qaeda which has captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic “Caliphate” and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, a statement posted on jihadist websites said today.
The move is an expansion of the group’s ambitions to wage a holy war and posed a direct challenge to the central leadership of al-Qaeda, which has already disowned it.
The group, previously the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (Isis), also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, has renamed itself “Islamic State” and proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghadi as “Caliph” - the head of the state, the statement said.
...Charles Lister, Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Doha Center, saw considerable significance in the move.
“Whatever judgments are made in terms of its legitimacy, (the) announcement that it has restored the Caliphate is likely the most significant development in international jihadism since 9/11.
“The impact of this announcement will be global as al-Qaeda affiliates and independent jihadist groups must now definitively choose to support and join the Islamic State or to oppose it.”
Fighters from the group overran the Iraqi city of Mosul last month and have advanced towards Baghdad. In Syria they have captured territory in the north and east, along the frontier with Iraq.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.