Unveiling the Shadowy Ties: Al-Shabaab’s Al-Qaeda Allegiance and Its Impact on the Levant
Some of the groups are Al-Shabaab — an Islamist militant based in Somalia, central to the issues of security in East Africa. It emerged into the public limelight in 2012 when ‘swore allegiance to the jihad that Al-Qaeda fights globally’. This partnership has been transformative in a number of ways from within a Somali perspective to the wider Middle-East particularly within Levant Corridor focus. In relation to assessing the change in the security threats in the Levant and in relation to understanding the goals of Al Shabaab in its connection with Al-Qaeda, particular information about Al-Shabaab needs to be defined.
Al-Shabaab’s Objectives and Ideology
The mission and objective of Al-Shabaab group is to introduce a theocracy type of government in Somalia with a fundament on sharia. That is why this goal correlates with the general strategic objective of Al-Qaeda to create an Islamic state on the international level. The religion of the group is fundamentalist Salafi Jihadism, which relates to violent jihad in an enemy of Islam view. Through the refrigerator to the Al-Qaeda organisation Al-Shabaab have attempted to seek a military and political morale to explain its conduct even though this is actually a process of increasing the operational capacity of Al-Shabaab in terms of resources, training etc.
Impact on the Levant
While most of the exemplary operational activities of Al-Shabaab have been evidenced in East Africa, membership of Al-Qaeda has implications in the Levant. It is important to explain that the Levant region which includes nowadays Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel has turned into a hot-bed for all sorts of jihadist operations. In the latter half of 2012, Jabhat al Nusra, a Syria based organization having links with the al Qaeda has got involved in conflict with state government, other forces against the government. Shabaab’s loyalty to Al-Qaeda may spread the expansion of the latter organization into a newer area and even deeper into the Levant which itself is a region fraught with conflict.
Regional Security Dynamics
It should, however, be said that, being connected to Al-Qaeda, there are particular outcomes for the security of the Levant area. Groups like the Al- shabaab are still a menace to the Middle East stability this through the Al-Qaeda network. The violence can be initiated and planned by the group than the distinct local radical groups, which can later lead to increased insecurity. For example a faction operating under Al-Qaeda charter known as Abdullah Azzam Brigades have been operative in Levant and have been involved in attacks in Lebanon and Israel.
Counterterrorism Challenges
This paper also asserts that the amalgamation of Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda presents broad challenges to counter terrorism initiatives in the Levant. The over riding presumption here is that anything that is of concern to any of these groups may a have regional effect on the others. For instance, the continued military action against Al Shabaab in Somalia is answered by a counter strike in the Levant. Furthermore, the two organisations’ different but clear connection on the ideological and the practical level also means that multi-million initiatives of various countries are needed to effectively combat the threats of these organisations.
I believe that the relationship between Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda will help to explain the situation in the Levant. And this enlighten the possibility of coming up with a track that may work in the event that the strategy to neutralize these groups must be devised. It is important that with this change in status, policies and security organizations need to look and act towards the implications of this cooperation so as to create a healthier status for the region as it relates to stability and security.
