The audio recording aired by Al Jazeera on Oct. 8 of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has caused quite a stir, in particular because Zawahri called for disbanding the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Zawahri also confirmed that Jabhat al-Nusra was the organization's branch is Syria, giving it the cloak of legitimacy. Meanwhile, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi responded by rejecting Zawahri's call, stressing that ISIS will remain in Iraq and in Syria.
In the recording, Zawahri stated, "The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is canceled, and work continues under the name of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)," adding, "Jabhat al-Nusra is an autonomous branch of Jamaat al-Qaeda al-Jihad [i.e., al-Qaeda] and follows its general leadership." Zawahri further said, "The realm of ISI is Iraq, and that of Jabhat al-Nusra is Syria." Zawahri's statements supported Jabhat al-Nusra leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani's demand that his group remain independent of Baghdadi in Syria and that he withdraw from al-Qaeda's branch in Iraq.
