U.S. Edition
By Jill Dougherty, reporting from Aspen, Colorado
U.S. officials and experts on Al Qaeda agree that al Qaeda has a presence among the opposition in Syria. But how strong are they? How deeply do they influencet the opposition?
At the Aspen Security Forum all you have to do to find an opinion on that is stand under the aspen trees and wait for an expert to saunter by.
RECOMMENDED: Our coverage of the 2012 Aspen Security Forum
I button-holed Richard Barrett, coordinator of a New-York-based team appointed to advise the Security Council on the effective development and implementation of sanctions aimed at al Qaeda and the Taliban.
“There’s no doubt at all that some of the people who refer to themselves as al Qaeda from Iraq have gone into Syria. I think that’s absolutely without doubt," Barrett tells me.
“The question really is – are those people linked up with the Free Syrian Army and other oppositionists, other rebels? And that, I think is much more doubtful," he says. "I think the Free Syrian Army and the main bulk of the rebels in Syria are still very much opposed to allowing al Qaeda a proper foothold.”
"I don’t think al Qaeda has any natural constituency in Syria. And I think it became incredibly unpopular in Iraq for promoting this sort of sectarian conflict which I think is the last thing the Syrians want."
But that resistance won't last forever, Barrett warns.
"But, of course, if it moves toward that, with Allawites and Christians and whatever on one side and Sunnis on the other side, then al Qaeda will find a lot of people to exploit, I’m sure, and will be able to build that.”
Security Clearance: Your source for national security news and analysis
Let the Towel Heads take over. THAT's how!
DEIR HEZZOR, (SANA)_At the forefront of the Syrian armed forces offensive termed Confront, contain and extinguish, all terrorists are quantified based on internal security reports and special reconnaissance that works in conjunction with a community effort being engaged throughout the whole of the nation. As outlined by a defense ministry spokesman, "The citizens of Syria wholeheartedly support this round them up directive since many of them report being threatened with violence if they refuse to accede to the demands of seditionists. Our CCE policy is a viable and necessary approach to establish order by contending with any individual or group of individuals who are deluded – for whatever reason, into believing that a nation can be hijacked and seized by engaging in organized terrorism."
Sure, Al Qaeda is growing in all these countries. That's because we're putting them there. Syria didn't have all these problems until they became a target by our leaders. Suddenly there's terrorism, mass killing of innocent people, it just doesn't end. Every country we touch, there's blood on our hands. No democracy is being spread, just horror.
Al-Qaeda and other terrorist group all around the world are considered as a cancer or life threatening viruses,the treatment of them has it's own price.
Thank you, Johnny J. I couldn't have said it better! Yes, the U.S. is doing far more harm than good around the world with it's idiotic interventionist policies we have. This tells me that isolationism is a very good idea whose time has not only come, but is long overdue!!!
People say believe half of what u see and none what u hear. In 2006 The Hezbollah guerillas gained entry into a futile game planned by Mullas of Iran, the end of which was nothing except for hundreds of innocent victims run away from their homeland; so many infrasructures ruined not reconstruced so far.
I'm pretty sure the real Mahdi wouldn't waste time posting comments to online message boards.
basbusa is tasty
Im just hoping for a Ghadaffi repeat when it comes to Bashar al-Assad. It would be gratifying for me, as an American, that 200+ years after we whooped King George back to Britain, we are still taking apart his kind (illegitimate dictators that murder their own people in mass). I love when we play friends with them, only for them to realize that they are only our temporary pons. i.e. Saddam Hussain.
what has that to do with basbusa?
Wow this piece is horrible. I could have written a better one. Every other sentence is I think… Well thanks for giving away a how to guide moron. Btw sentences shouldn't begin with AND.
Look at the last quote. Lmao that's a hell of a run-on sentence and and and and and. Who hired this clown?
I'll see you in hell Assad, the rebels are going to kill you in the streets like Gadhaffi .
Why are you going to hell, oh well say hello to him for me.......
this article is so amazing,, same person who wrote this wrote how the kkk can grow in anerica,, how the Jews can grow in Palestine,, heck how the finshen can grow in Ireland,,, playa Pleeezeee
fellow citizens, I dont know what alqaeda is and what it has to do with syria but let me clearify , if it appears in Syria the birthplace of alqaeda can be easily tracked and it will be no where but within the house looking white..
Absolutely
Hopefully i hope the people will not suffer to much! And i hope Israel leaves iran alone because Israel is going to be flatted this time! It not going to be the 67 or 73 where Israel threatened nuc war or where Israel INVADA Lebanon in1982! It be like 2006 where they lost tanks and more this time!
Mahdi
CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.
Notify me of new comments via email.
CNN's Security Clearance examines national and global security, terrorism and intelligence, as well as the economic, military, political and diplomatic effects of it around the globe, with contributions from CNN's national security team in Washington and CNN journalists around the world.
E-mail us at securityclearance@cnn.com