The Stream

Syria’s foreign fighters

Concerns grow over the impact al-Qaeda and its affiliates are having on the conflict.

A Turkish fighter of the group Al-Nusra Front, bearing the flag of al-Qaeda on his jacket, holds position with fellow comrades on April 4, 2013 in the Syrian village of Aziza, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo. (GUILLAUME BRIQUET/AFP/GETTY)
 

What happens when a young American reporter sits down with al-Qaeda fighters in Syria? Anna Therese Day, an independent journalist, interviewed four members of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) about their involvement in the Syrian conflict. In her piece titled “Dining with Al Qaeda”, Anna attempts to reveal who these men are beyond their weapons. Find out how she did it and what she learned at 19:30 GMT.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak with: 

Anna Therese Day @AnnaOfArabia
Journalist
AnnaThereseDay.com

Aaron Zelin @azelin
Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
 
Aymenn Al-Tamimi @ajaltamimi
Student, Oxford University
 
Amr Kawji @MouriKawji
Intern, Syrian Support Group
 
Racan Alhoch @Racanarchy
Syrian activist
 
Mohannad Rachid @TheMoeDee
Syrian activist

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