Khorasan a mixture of reality and intelligence agencies' propaganda

When the U.S. began bombing the Islamic State in Syria it turns out that they were also targeting Khorasan. This is a group that is linked with Al Qaeda. The name for the group is actually a creation of intelligence agencies.

Khorasan refers to Greater Khorasan, which consists of Eastern Iran-Northern Afghanistan-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-region. Intelligence agencies used the term to refer to high-ranking members of Al Qaeda within the Khorasan Shura. However, the group in Syria has members from other areas such as Yemen. A good description of the historical associations of the term to Al Qaeda is given in this article.
The rebels on the ground working in the areas where Khorasan operates have never heard of the group. The group themselves are not known to use the name to describe themselves. While the group exists and may even have some vague plans of the sort ascribed to them by western intelligence they are in reality simply a group of foreign fighters in Syria linked to Jabhat al-Nusra, which Al Qaeda recognizes as their official branch in Syria. Many analysts of jihadist movements are annoyed at the whole idea of Khorasan. Pieter van Ostayen, a historian and follower of jihadist movements, wrote in an e-mail that "in all of the official Jihadi accounts I follow(ed) the name was never mentioned." Ostayen claims the name clearly has a U.S. origin and said he believes that the US has blown up the whole story of their being a huge threat to the west in order to justify their attacks on the Nusra Front in Syria.
 One might wonder if it matters whether Khorasan is part of Jabhat al-Nusra or not since even the US regards both as linked to Al Qaeda. One difference is that Jabhat a-Nusra cooperates with other rebel groups in fighting against Assad and the Islamic State as well. Khorasan is defined as a small splinter group that is supposed to be a huge and imminent threat to the west: At an intelligence gathering in Washington, D.C. on 18 September 2014, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper stated that "in terms of threat to the homeland, Khorasan may pose as much of a danger as the Islamic State (IS)."
 Attacks on Jabhat al-Nusra are extremely unpopular with rebels off all stripes, because they are great fighters in the war against Assad. Instead of bombing Assad, the US is simply bombing radical groups it opposes as jihadists even though those jihadists may be key to fighting Assad. It is hardly any wonder that so far the Assad government has applauded the strikes even though at first they were opposed as against Syrian sovereignty and the UN charter. They still are but they obviously are seen by Assad as a great help against radicals fighting his regime.
Using the Arabic term Daesh for the Islamic State, Ali Bakran, commander of a Free Syrian Army brigade, the moderate rebels in western eyes, said to the Washington Post: “If they hit Daesh and the regime, it’s okay. But why are they striking Nusra? Nusra are from the people — they are the people.”
 Now the press has a new threat and group to talk about —the Khorasan — and the U.S. has a new justification for bombing radical jihadists in Syria other than the Islamic State. The rebels in Syria know what is going on but who are they except pawns to be used as western interests see fit? Some of them may be picked for training in Jordan or Saudi Arabia to become paid proxies fighting against Assad unless the west, Russia and Iran decide it is time for a peace deal. As of now, the US does not seem interested in seeing rebel groups militarily defeat the Assad regime. The Arab nations that were part of the coalition that attacked Islamic State positions did not take part in the bombing attacks upon Jabhat al Nusra and Khorasan as the map on the appended video shows