No doubt, the death of AbdelKader Al Saleh, aka Haji Marea of the Liwa' el Tawheed brigades, came as a bitter blow to his supporters amongst the opposition, as well as his own fighters and other rebels on the ground. He was a charismatic leader, lionized by his followers and the opposition as a hero and a virtuous, down to earth man; a real revolutionary with morality and spirit who could get things done, always to be found at the front lines fighting alongside his men. Hence the prolific outpouring of grief and extended eulogies lamenting his untimely death across anti-regime and opposition social media groups, websites and media stations. Contrast that with the obvious glee and joy across the other side of the Syrian conflict.
The pro-regime camp were ecstatic at the news of his demise, having accused him of various crimes across Aleppo, most notably the theft and destruction of the Grand Omayyad Mosque, and the looting of the commercial districts around it, as well as a string of allegations centering around the torture and arbitrary execution of prisoners. But was Al Saleh really that important a figure in the Syrian conflict? And if so, why? What does his death mean in terms of practical changes on the ground? To answer this question we must take a quick look at his past, and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Before the Syrian uprising, Al Saleh, in his early thirties and a father of five, was a grain trader in his native town of Marea in Aleppo province. Known for being a religious man, he traveled to several countries to undertake Islamic preaching or "Dawa". As the Syrian uprising began he organized protests in his home town, then soon after took up arms and formed his own local militia. He was later chosen by Abdel Aziz Salameh to be head of military operations in the newly formed Liwa' el Tawheed brigades, an Islamist rebel group with very close ties to the Muslim Brothers and generous funding by Qatar. It soon grew to become the largest and most powerful rebel faction fighting in Aleppo province, especially after spearheading the assault and takeover of large parts of eastern Aleppo city. More recently, its leaders have been pivotal in shaping the military landscape of Northern Syria, formulating the overall rebel war strategy in the area, forming the core of the Sharia Council which oversees civil and legal affairs in rebel held areas, and brokering a short-lived cease fire between the Al Qaeda affiliated ISIS and the Asefet el Shamal rebel group which then lead to the ousting of the latter and the takeover of the strategic border town of Izzaz by the ISIS, much to the alarm of everyone. Crucially, Liwa' el Tawheed did not step in to aid the rebels against the ISIS, just one of their many enigmatic strategic decisions. The Tawheed brigades were also an influential player in opposition politics and diplomacy, its top level leaders held frequent deliberations with the Syrian National Coalition in Turkey, and helped shape many of their policies, especially with regards to participation in any internationally brokered Geneva peace talks. The leverage which Qatar had over the group meant that it could flex its muscles in Syrian affairs on and off the battlefield. Which brings us to the timing and circumstances of Al Saleh's death. His death was announced on Monday the 18th of November from injuries sustained after a pinpoint regime airstrike which targeted a high level meeting of the leadership of the Tawheed brigades at the former Infantry School outside Aleppo the previous Thursday. Several Tawheed commanders were killed in the strike, but Al Saleh's injuries were said to be light as he was transported to a Turkish hospital for medical treatment, which is why the news of his death came as a great shock. The rebels immediately rounded up dozens of people from the surrounding villages, accusing them of betraying their coordinates to the regime. But it soon became apparent that any betrayal must have come from within their own ranks, a fact which greatly panicked the brigade, especially since it came on the heels of rebel defections which helped regime forces recapture the 80th division close to Aleppo airport. Al Saleh's death coincided with a recent large scale regime offensive which has seen loyalist troops retake large swathes of former rebel territory, including the strategic town of Sfireh, which threatens the rebels' hold on the entire Aleppo region and their supply routes. Alarmed, the rebels called for mass mobilization of all anti regime rebel forces, and serious talks to unify several key Islamist rebel factions under one central command got underway, with Al Saleh playing a crucial role. These factors are why Al Saleh's death is crucially significant, without his leadership and presence rebel forces will be significantly weakened and may falter in the face of an intense regime onslaught. Perhaps this is why the regime chose to strike at this critical timing, just as it makes preparations to retake Aleppo city and the surrounding areas.
AbdelKader Al Saleh was not only morally important to the rebel movement, but played a vital role in the cohesion and running of his own very powerful and influential rebel brigade. A role which also extended to arbitration and unification amongst the many disparate factions waging war against the Syrian regime and its allies. No doubt his death is another setback to rebels in the north; another in a long string of recent setbacks.
