Re: [Marxism] Nusra Front dissolving into Islamic State?

2014-09-29 Thread Michael Karadjis via Marxism

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Actually I wouldn't be quite so dismissive. It may or may not be true or 
may be exaggerated, but the problem is precisely that by bombing Nusra - 
an anti-ISIS organisation working with the rest of the rebel formations 
against regime and ISIS - under the cover of bombing ISIS, the US in 
precisely encouraging the reassertion of the more jihadist wings of the 
leadership and ranks of Nusra. Pressure will be there to join their 
jihadist brothers against US imperialism.


This is precisely another counterrevolutionary effect of the bombing. 
Making counterrevolution is a creative process. Directly bombing current 
military allies of the FSA and united rebel alliance (ie, bombing Nusra) 
is one very direct form of aiding the Assadist counterrevolution. This 
is especially obvious in Aleppo, which has been jointly besieged by 
Assad and ISIS for some months now, and the US' very first bombing 
attacks were on Nusra (and possibly Ahrar al-Sham) inside Aleppo, ie, on 
those fighting side by side with the FSA and IF in the epic defense of 
the city, attacks which are continuing, yet to now there have been no US 
attacks on ISIS in the north Aleppo region 
(http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/09/25/5199983/cia-vetted-syrian-rebels-battling.html#.VCjCcBZ0Yk4). 
Needles to say, the US does not attack the regime genocidists. In other 
words, in the Aleppo region, it is *only* the rebels who have been 
attacked!


But other counterrevolutionary effects are less direct, and this 
ideological impact - driving Nusra away from the rebel alliance back 
into alliance with ISIS, which would then give the US even more 
justification for destroying Nusra, thus destroying an important 
military asset of the opposition. It may not happen, or it may only 
happen partially, but I don't rule it  out.


Likewise, this in turn puts pressure on the Islamic Front, the soft 
Islamists (eg, Jaish Mujahideen in Aleppo), and on the FSA itself, to 
choose between the US and Nusra, thereby fostering division, 
confusion, in-fighting etc within the FSA and other rebel movements, 
splitting, wrecking, pushing those sections more oriented to the west to 
engage in mutually-suicidal attacks on Nusra (mutual suicide is what I 
have always believed to have been the US aim of encouraging the FSA to 
be a premature 'sawha' against Nusra, rather than any preference for a 
victory of the FSA).


Fortunately, at this stage, as I documented, most on the ground FSA and 
rebel units have condemned the US attacks and defended Nusra. But if 
Nusra joins ISIS, this will put a different pressure on the FSA and 
allies. And even if it doesn't, the current situation allows Nusra to 
gain support and denounce anyone not entirely supporting them as US 
agents, this actually strengthening the more reactionary pole within the 
anti-Assad/anti-ISIS front.


If ISIS could be surgically wiped off the face of the earth I'd have no 
real objection, but the idea that US imperialist strategy is capable of 
this, or even that this is the main aim, is mistaken.


-Original Message- 
From: Clay Claiborne via Marxism

Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 4:27 AM
To: Michael Karadjis
Subject: Re: [Marxism] Nusra Front dissolving into Islamic State?

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Once again you've got it all wrong Marv,

ISIS is not part of the opposition to the Assad Regime. al Nusra, along
with the rest of the Syrian opposition have been fighting both ISIS and
Assad, which have only made a show of fighting each other.

That the US-led air campaign in intended to halt ISIS is only their
propaganda and your opinion.

al  Nursa is not splintering and the question that you hopeful pose in 
the

subject line is not supported by the article you link to. Why am I not
surprised? It does however reflect the hopes of ISIS:

However, one Islamic State fighter said he believed there was an 80

percent chance that the brothers of Nusra will join the State.



But what Reuters says is:

Sources close to Islamic State said some Nusra fighters were joining 
them
after the strikes and there was a growing sense among many that it was 
time

to put their differences aside.


So again, the source is ISIS, so really the only question your post 
raises

is why are you embellishing ISIS propaganda on a Marxist list?

Clay Claiborne, Director
Vietnam: American Holocaust http://VietnamAmericanHolocaust.com
Linux Beach Productions
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 581-1536

Read my blogs at the Linux Beach http://claysbeach.blogspot.com/
http://wlcentral.org/user/2965/track

[Marxism] Nusra Front dissolving into Islamic State?

2014-09-26 Thread Marv Gandall via Marxism
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If this Reuters report (see link below) is accurate, it points to a potentially 
very significant development in the Syrian civil war.

The Islamic State and the Nusra Front have violently confronted each other for 
leadership of the powerful jihadist wing of the Syrian opposition to the Assad 
regime. Now it appears that the latter is splintering in the wake of the 
prestige and resources which have accrued to the Islamic State in its rapid 
advance across a large swathe of Syria and Iraq. The US-led air campaign, 
intended to halt ISIS,  has instead reportedly accelerated defections from the 
Nusra Front to the Islamic State, and laid the basis for a merger or formal 
alliance of the two organizations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/26/us-syria-crisis-nusra-insight-idUSKCN0HL11720140926?feedType=RSSfeedName=worldNews

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