Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — An Al Qaida-aligned militia has captured key areas of Syria, including the transit point to its largest city, a report said.

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy asserted that Islamic State of Iraq and Levant captured the city of Al Bab in the northern province of Aleppo in September.

The operation now gives ISIL a dominant position along the 900-kilometer Syria border with Turkey.

“The capture of the city, one of the largest in the region, gives ISIL control over a key transit point linking Aleppo to its strongholds to the east,” the report, titled “Al Qaida’s Syrian Strategy,” said.

Analysts Barak Barfi and Aaron Zelin asserted that ISIL was storming through northern Syria and capturing positions long held by non-Al Qaida rebels. They said ISIL, which has imposed Salafist norms, wielded superior firepower that led to the capture of such border towns as Azaz and Jarablus.

“ISIL has embarked on Al Qaida’s most comprehensive campaign yet to win
Arab hearts and minds by providing social services to a war-ravaged
society,” the report, dated Oct. 17, said. “But though the organization’s
star is ascendant, its abuses, coupled with an international strategy to
limit its influence, could still torpedo its plan to transform northern
Syria into an Islamic emirate under its command.”

The report said ISIL has between 5,000 and 6,000 fighters, smaller than
other groups. The Al Qaida-aligned Syrian Islamic Front was said to contain
between 15,000 and 20,000 fighters.

“But ISIL has one important advantage: Many of its members have
previously fought in other jihads, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen,
and Libya,” the report said.

ISIL was said to be strongest in the northern Syrian province of Raqa.
The Al Qaida force controls the provincial capital, with nearly 300,000
residents, and has intimidated the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.

The report said ISIL has been providing food from the Turkish border as
well as fuel to Raqa. The militia, which distributes Korans as well as
Salafist leaflets, was also operating the courts and schools according
Islamic law.

At the same time, ISIL has waged a crackdown on dissent. In one case,
ISIL held hostage a 14-year-old girl to facilitate a prisoner exchange. The
group has also been linked to sexual abuse of minors and theft of
humanitarian aid.

The report called on the United States to help pro-Western rebels and
tribes overthrow ISIL. So far, the administration of President Barack Obama,
particularly the State Department, was said to be shunning FSA.

“Washington needs to support rebel groups to ensure that
institution-building projects can prosper,” the report said. “The State
Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations works on these
projects, but it shuns the FSA units that are a vital element to success.
Without groups to protect civilian actors, they can become targets — ISIS
has singled out Western-backed Syrians for intimidation, incarceration, and
some say even assassination.”

  Al Bab, Al Qaida militia captures key Syrian city near Turkey, Al Qaida-linked militia captures key Syrian city near Turkish border, Aleppo, Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, Syrian Islamic Front, Washington Institute for Near East Policy