What does it mean when Al Qa’eda dismisses an “Al Qa’eda franchise”? A 5-minute analysis of Al Qa’eda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s rejection of the Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham — and what it means for Syria’s conflict:
The rejection is not simply “Al Qa’eda vs. an Al Qa’eda franchise”. It says that the fight in Syria is one which turns upon local insurgency, local protest, and the fight against the Assad regime….
Al Qa’eda is a distraction from what matters in Syria.
