Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra splits from al-Qaeda and changes its name

 
IRBIL, Iraq — Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate split from its parent organization and changed its name Thursday in a move widely interpreted as a bid to head off a U.S.-Russian plan to launch joint airstrikes against the group.
Jabhat al-Nusra announced that it would henceforth be known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham — or Front for the Liberation of Syria — and said it no longer owes allegiance to al-Qaeda.
The announcement was made in a video statement delivered to the Al Jazeera television network by the group’s leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who revealed his face for the first time since he declared the formation of the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda in early 2012.
He said the split was intended to remove any “pretext” for the United States and Russia to conduct airstrikes against the wider rebel movement while claiming they are targeting Jabhat al-Nusra. He also outlined a plan aimed at promoting unity among Syria’s fractious rebel groups at a critical time for the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.