Team al-Qaida Now Aiming at Lebanese Army – Affiliated Syrian Attack Squad Charges Military Helping Hezbollah in al-Assad Defense

F. Michael Maloof / WND

WASHNGTON – The Jabhat al-Nusra Front, which is al-Qaida’s designated attack squad in Syria and now Lebanon, says the Lebanese army will be fair game for attacks because of what it perceives as the military’s cooperation in allowing Hezbollah to move supplies and fighters into Syria.

The al-Qaida affiliate also is warning Lebanon’s Sunnis to stay out of the way when its fighters engage Hezbollah, a Shiite group affiliated with Iran, inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah made the decision last year to send fighters into Syria to help keep the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power.

Assad, a Shiite Alawite, is allied with Iran and plays a role in part of what is referred to as the Shiite Crescent, stretching across Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Iran represents Shiite Muslims who are fighting a proxy war with Sunni Saudi Arabia. Along with the Saudi kingdom, the Gulf Arab countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates form the Sunni Crescent.

For three years, the Saudis have been pumping money into the fight on behalf of the Sunni foreign fighters, but the Assad regime remains in power.

The effort has been headed by Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi intelligence chief and head of the Saudi National Security Council.

Bandar has had his differences with the United States over what factions of the Syrian opposition to support.

Now, the Saudis have decided to replace him with another prince more acceptable to the U.S. He is Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Along with Nayef, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the son of Saudi King Abdullah and head of the Saudi National Guard, will take on more responsibilities in the kingdom’s policy toward Syria.

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http://www.wnd.com/2014/02/team-al-qaida-now-aiming-at-lebanese-army/#IIWADbm3vHOiyBl4.99