(updated, May 29th, 2015) The leader of one of Syria's most powerful rebel groups known as Nusra Front, has said that his group's main mission is to dislodge the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and that it has no agenda to target the West unless provoked.
The leader stated this during a chat with Doha-based network, making it known that their mission is not to fight the West, unless the West Chose to stand for the president to fight them.
"We are only here to accomplish one mission, to fight the regime and its agents on the ground, including Hezbollah and others," Abu Mohammed al-Golani said in an exclusive interview aired on Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
"Nusra Front doesn’t have any plans or directives to target the West. We received clear orders not to use Syria as a launching pad to attack the US or Europe in order to not sabotage the true mission against the regime. Maybe al-Qaeda does that but not here in Syria," he said.
But his statements did include a warning against the US over its attacks on the armed group, which has been blacklisted a "terrorist organisation" by the US.
"Our options are open when it comes to targeting the Americans if they will continue their attacks against us in Syria. Everyone has the right to defend themselves," he said in an interview with the Doha-based network.
"Nusra Front doesn’t have any plans or directives to target the West. We received clear orders not to use Syria as a launching pad to attack the US or Europe in order to not sabotage the true mission against the regime. Maybe al-Qaeda does that but not here in Syria," he said.
But his statements did include a warning against the US over its attacks on the armed group, which has been blacklisted a "terrorist organisation" by the US.
"Our options are open when it comes to targeting the Americans if they will continue their attacks against us in Syria. Everyone has the right to defend themselves," he said in an interview with the Doha-based network.
