14 Syrian tribes pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda

14 Syrian tribes in Raqqa, east Syria have reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant, al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.

A mere year ago, the same tribes pledged allegiance to Bashar al-Assad, Hassan Hassan, Opinion deputy editor for The National newspaper said.

Syria has become al Qaeda’s largest safe haven, with more than 10,000 fighters who outnumber the terrorist network’s core organization in Pakistan and its affiliates in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, Washington Times reported.

The development, analysts say, provides al Qaeda with a new base from which to attack Western targets, attract recruits to its jihadist doctrine, finance its operations and expand its influence throughout the Middle East.

Syria’s conflict, now into its third year, has left over 115,000 dead. It has devastated the economy and the country’s delicate social fabric. It has caused 5 million Syrians to flee their homes to other places within the country, and driven another 2 million abroad.