The Syrian rebels would be immeasurably weaker today without al-Qaeda in their ranks. By and large, Free Syrian Army (FSA) battalions are tired, divided, chaotic, and ineffective. Feeling abandoned by the West, rebel forces are increasingly demoralized as they square off with the Assad regime's superior weaponry and professional army. Al-Qaeda fighters, however, may help improve morale. The influx of jihadis brings discipline, religious fervor, battle experience from Iraq, funding from Sunni sympathizers in the Gulf, and most importantly, deadly results. In short, the FSA needs al-Qaeda now.

The messenger of "terra" in this CFR case is one Ed Husain, described as "a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies" at the CFR. Before he set up the first-counter terrorism think tank in Britain, he was "an activist of Jamat-e-Islami, Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT), and Muslim Brotherhood front organizations in the United Kingdom". But thanks Allah he repented, and became "a strong critic of extremism and Islamism".