United States President Barack Obama has publicly announced that the two extremist groups Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant (ISIL), also known as Daesh, and Al-Qaeda are just "one and the same" although there have been proofs that they are two different factions.

The Obama administration has claimed this in the wake of their battle against ISIL. Also, the spokesman of the Pentagon, Rear Admiral John Kirby, said that the military men ordered by the Obama administration, do not have any interest in distinguishing ISIL from Al-Qaeda.

Like Us on Facebook

ISIL has broken off from Al-Qaeda but they were still born as part of that group and that the perspective of the military is that these two extremist groups are really indistinguishable, Kirby added.

It is true however, that the first members of ISIL were a breakaway from Al-Qaeda as they were part of the said group when they were in Iraq. Although in February 2014, the leader of Al-Qaeda announced that they are abandoning all ties they have and even condemned ISIL.

Another link that is being pointed out is that the founder of Al-Qaeda, Abu Masab al-Zarqawi, is a friend of Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. According to reports, after the 9/11 attack, that's when Zarqawi formed the Al-Qaeda group in Iraq.

However, the Obama administration is being slammed by several U.S. officials, such as Secretary of State John Kerry, that their claim is irrelevant and that it weakens the administration because just recently, they have already set distinctions between the two jihadist groups regarding the leadership and their affiliates.

Counter-terrorism veterans have also voiced their opinions regarding the claim saying that it's opinionated and mirrors the Bush administration. Bush once linked Al-Qaeda to Saddam Hussein during the Iraq invasion in 2003.

Another proof that the two groups are not one and the same is the statement of Daveed Gartenstein-Ross of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. He said that it's very clear that the two groups are separated because ISIL already assassinated a lot of Al-Qaeda leaders and figures. On the other hand, Al-Qaeda's declaration of their caliphates have been cleared out that they are not related to ISIL.

Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda announcing that they have cut all their ties with other groups, this then poses a fresh threat to the U.S. as they have already been battling the jihadist group for 13 years now.