Behind the Syrian War, Al-Qaeda and ISIS Fight for Control of Jihadi Movement

Supporters of the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, take part in a protest against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the international coalition in Aleppo on Sept. 26, 2014. Al-Qaeda and ISIS are competing for influence over the global jihadist movement. Fadi al-Halabi/AFP/Getty Images

While the terrorist foot soldiers are fighting on the ground in Syria, another battle is being fought behind the scenes—one to gain influence over the global jihadi movement. This competition could raise the terror threat against Europe and the United States to a new level, as both groups aim to prove their capabilities.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) started as a more extreme offshoot of al-Qaeda, but al-Qaeda’s central command officially announced in March 2014 that ISIS has no relationship with the leadership of al-Qaeda. The two groups also began fighting around that time, with conflicts taking place both on the ground and ideologically.

In their fight for legitimacy over the jihadi movement, the groups will continue to fight each other, fight for control of Iraq and Syria—and experts warn that these rival extremists could soon turn their attention to launching attacks on the West in attempts to display their capabilities.

Al-Qaeda has a lot of influence in the rural areas and among the very poor.

— Jere Van Dyk, author and researcher