Al Qaida sees Syria as a priority, sends fighters and suicide bombers

Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Diplomatic sources said the Al Qaida network in Iraq has decided to intensify deployment in neighboring Syria. They said the Islamic network was sending bomb experts, including suicide operatives, to stage mass-casualty attacks against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

Clapper Nomination — James Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee. / Ceneta / AP

“AQI sees Syria as the most important arena for operations,” a diplomatic source said. “If Assad is overthrown, AQI might have a haven in Syria.”

The diplomats said several Western intelligence agencies, including that of the United States, have assessed that AQI was conducting attacks in major cities in Syria. They said the suicide bombings in Aleppo on Feb. 10 and similar attacks in Damascus in December 2011 appeared to be the work of AQI.

“It had all the earmarks of an Al Qaida-like attack.” U.S. National Intelligence director James Clapper told a Senate hearing on Feb. 16. “So, we believe that Al Qaida in Iraq is extending its reach into Syria.”

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Al Qaida sees Syria as a priority, sends fighters and suicide bombers added by World Tribune on February 26, 2012
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