Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said that the group's Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, could cut organizational ties to al Qaeda to preserve its unity and to continue its fight in Syria's civil war.
Top Jabhat al-Nusra leadership were close to moving toward an official break with al Qaeda, particularly in light of the potential agreement between the United States and Russia to coordinate airstrikes against Jabhat al-Nusra targets.
But even if ties are officially severed, unless Jabhat al-Nusra significantly alters its ideology and methodology, outside views of the group are not likely to change, Reuters reported.
