Publication

This publication analyzes the reactions of jihadist leaders to the so-called "Khorasan pledge", a pledge of allegiance signed by nine al-Qaeda commanders from the Middle East, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran on 9 April 2014. The declaration announces a shift of allegiance from al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of DI’ISH/ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). According to the author, the pledge may have important implications for the future of jihadist movements in the Middle East.