Russian political expert Igor Korotchenko argues that with this step, members of the organization are trying to escape the final defeat, seeking to "withdraw themselves" from the list of terrorist groups.
"Terrorism is changing colors, but any attempt to withdraw from the onslaught of terrorist organizations can't be recognized as legitimate," Korotchenko said."The desire of al-Nusra Front to change its color speaks about the success of the fight against this terrorist organization, which bears heavy losses and is trying to get away from the final defeat," Korochenko told RIA Novosti.
The group's leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani announced the amicable split from al-Qaeda on July 28, adding that the group would not be linked to any foreign party. He also said that the organization changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Front for the Conquest of Syria).
At the same time, political analyst Daniel Pipes argued that al-Nusra Front has cut ties with al-Qaeda to become more competitive as the terrorist organization is vying for power, fighters, financial assistance and local support in a crowded field of other radical groups who are trying to oust Bashar al-Assad and establish a caliphate in Syria.
On February 27, a US-Russia brokered ceasefire entered into force in Syria, with terrorist groups such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front, both outlawed in Russia, being excluded from the truce.
Since 2011, Syria has been affected by the armed conflict, which claimed lives of over 280,000 people. Government troops are confronted with the militants of different armed groups, the most notorious of which are Daesh and al-Nusra Front. The international community has been fighting these groups for several years and managed to achieve significant success. However, the groups still pose significant danger to the world as they continue to carry out terrorist attacks not only in the Middle East, but also in Western countries.
The research found that 5.4% of Palestinians favor radical methods, and 8.4% believe that the tactics of radical groups correspond to Islamic teachings. On the contrary, only 0,4% of people in Jordan and Morocco approve of violent methods used by Islamists.
The research also revealed that informational campaigns on the methods of terrorists significantly reduce the level of their supporters. Thus, scientists came to the conclusion that to avoid the expansion of the terrorist organizations people from poorly educated segments of the population should be properly informed about the violence and atrocities committed by these Islamist groups, the research concluded.
