Publication

This paper examines al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (JN), including its strategy and military operations in the civil war in Syria. Among other issues, the author focuses on 1) JN's ideology and its ties to al-Qaeda's objectives; 2) its short- and long-term strategy for Syria; 3) its relationships with rebel groups in the Syrian civil war, including how its military tactics, operations and cooperation have enabled it to build a notable amount of influence over these groups; 4) its recruiting and training activities; 5) its military activities in Syria between August 2013 and the end of 2014; 6) its governance and state-building efforts in the areas it controls; and 7) what strategy it could adopt in the future.