Saudi Clerics Call For Jihad Against Assad, Russian Federation and Iran in Syria

The statement also issued a call for Syrian rebel fighters to “unify their front” against the Syrian regime and the foreign forces.

The US views the move as Russian Federation “stepping up its ground activity” in Syria to attack those forces, rather than ISIS elements. Washington, the wider Syrian opposition’s most important backer, appears to be waffling on how to respond. In addition, he used the interview to slam the U.S.-led coalition that has been fighting Islamic State by air in Iraq and Syria since 2014’s fall season, saying that the strikes were ineffective in fighting against terrorism.

“Amidst an global conspiracy against the Arab World, and Islamic identity as mainstream Sunni Muslims, courageous Syria and its great men stand steadfast in an historic battle against the Russian and Iranian occupiers and their criminal partner [Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah] Al-Sisi”, said the statement, which was published under the title, “Muslim Brotherhood statement on the Iran-Russia invasion of Syria“.

“They want to raze it completely”, he told AFP.

Lavrov listed the Islamic State, Nusra “and other terrorist groups”.

One notable omission from the unity statement was Jabhat Al-Nusra, a major player in northwestern Syria that has worked side by side with Ahrar Al-Sham to capture the provincial capital of Idlib and creep closer to Assad’s coastal heartland in Latakia.

Across Syria, Russian jets carried out at least 34 air strikes in the last 24 hours, the Observatory said.

Riyadh’s state-affiliated clergy have already termed the war a jihad for Syrians, but they have also denounced Islamic State and al Qaeda and said that Saudi citizens must not go overseas to fight or give the rebels money except via government channels.

The Russian Defense Ministry has denied claims Russian aircraft struck the traditional Syrian city of Palmyra, state media report.

But it targeted the opposition that fights against the regime, not Daesh, and the civilians were killed in the process.

After Russian Federation began bombing Syria this week, Pentagon officials have declined to directly answer questions on how they felt about the Kremlin targeting Assad’s enemies other than Islamic State.

In revealing last month that an American strike had killed David Drugeon, a former French intelligence agent who defected to a- Qaida, the Pentagon said: “Drugeon was a member of a network of veteran al-Qaida operatives, sometimes called the Khorasan Group, who are plotting attacks against the United States, its allies, and partners”. “The American role in Syria recently has been very weak”, said Abu Obeida, “but it’s looked especially weak before Russian Federation“.