According to a report from the Associated Press, the Islamic militant groups ISIS and al Qaeda have formed an alliance, agreeing to stop fighting one another in order to focus on mutual enemies in Syria. At one point earlier in the war, al Qaeda disassociated themselves from ISIS, insinuating that their brutal tactics were even too radical for the terrorist organization. The agreement between the two groups creates a new challenge for the coalition being led by the U.S., who are assisting moderate rebels on the ground in Syria. From the AP: “Those rebels, already considered relatively weak and disorganized, would face far stronger opposition if the two heavy-hitting militant groups now are working together.” However, experts did caution that such an agreement is a fragile one, and the two “rival groups” are unlikely to formally merge …
