THE MUJAHIDIN IN SYRIA: THE NEW AL-QAEDA?

Robert G. Rabil
Lifelong Learning Society Distinguished Professor of Current Affairs 2012-2013
Recipient of the LLS 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award

DESCRIPTION: This one-time lecture, based on a recent field research trip in the bastion of Islamist Tripoli, and along the Lebanon-Syria border, examines the ideological foundation and transformation of the Islamists into Salafi Jihadis fighting the Syrian regime. It attempts to identify the Jihadi groups and probes their relationships with key actors within and without the Lebanese society. More specifically, the lecture attempts to explore the nature of the budding relationships of the Jihadis with pro-Western groups. We will conclude with questioning whether these Jihadis will become part of the unfolding political landscape in Syria, or join al-Qaeda in its terror against the United States. Significantly, the lecture also questions the “awareness” guiding Washington’s involvement in the Syrian crisis in relation to the Jihadi groups and their actions.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Dr. Robert G. Rabil holds a Masters in Government from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. He served as Chief of Emergency for the Red Cross in Lebanon, and was Project Manager of the U.S. State Department-funded Iraq Research and Documentation Project. He has written extensively on Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, U.S.-Arab Relations, reform in the Arab world, radical Islam and terrorism. Dr. Rabil is a frequent speaker at major university campuses throughout the country. He lectures and participates in forums and seminars sponsored by the U.S. government, including the U.S. Army and the National Intelligence Council. He currently is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and was recently conferred with an honorary Ph.D. in humanities from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.