US, al-Qaeda fighting on same side thanks to Daesh

Al Qaeda affiliates are forging alliance with local armed groups in Yemen and Syria that put al Qaeda and the US on the same side, read a report by Ben Hubbard of The New York Times.

In recent weeks, the Qaeda affiliate in Yemen has allied with armed tribes to fight Iranian-backed Houthi group, putting that alliance on the same side of the country's civil war as the United States and Saudi Arabia, The Week magazine cited the report on Tuesday.

In Syria, Qaeda-allied fighters are important members of a coalition against President Bashar al-Assad that includes groups supported by the West.

According to the report, this strategy has clear benefits for a group that has long been near the top of the United States' list of enemies by allowing it to build local support while providing some cover against the threat of foreign military action.

The adjustments by al Qaeda are reportedly a response to Daesh's spread across the region, with al Qaeda hoping to maintain influence in the world of radical Islamist politics by entering into alliances with Sunni groups on the ground. However, US officials maintain that al Qaeda's top goal remains fighting a holy war against the West.