Syria's Rebel Leaders - Carib Chronicles

After more than five decades in power, the al-Assad dynasty in Syria was toppled on Sunday as President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia and rebels took the capital Damascus.

Assad’s departure brought to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war.

While the rebel coalition was made up of several factions, the group believed to be leading the offensive across Syria is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS.

What is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham?

According to the United States National Counterterrorism Center’s list of foreign terrorist organizations, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a coalition of northern Syria-based “Sunni Islamist insurgent groups” that evolved from Jabhat al-Nusrah, or “Nusrah Front.”

That is al-Qaida’s former branch in Syria.

The group is also a listed terrorist entity in Canada, which Canadian officials describe as “an Islamist group in Syria whose purported primary objectives are overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria followed by the creation of an Islamic state under Sharia Law.”

The group’s leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. The US National Counterterrorism Center says the break occurred over “strategic disagreements.”

In 2017, the Nusrah Front merged with other anti-Assad groups in Syria to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Joseph Varner, deputy director of the Conference of Defence Associations, said for al-Golani, al-Qaida was too extreme.

“The point of departure has always been that they found al-Qaida and ISIS as being too violent and not interested in civil rights,” Varner said.

The US State Department designated Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham as a terrorist organization in 2018, a designation it holds to this day.

Who is Abu Muhammad al-Golani?

Al-Golani’s ties to al-Qaida stretch back to 2003, when he joined insurgents battling US troops in Iraq. The Syrian native was detained by the US military but remained in Iraq, according to the Associated Press.

During that time, an al-Qaida splinter group formed called the Islamic State of Iraq, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

In 2011, a popular uprising in Syria against Assad triggered a brutal government crackdown and led to all-out civil war. Al-Golani’s prominence grew when al-Baghdadi sent him to Syria to establish the Nusrah Front.

The US government has put a $10 million bounty on him.

In 2013, the Associated Press reported that al-Golani had defied al-Baghdadi’s calls to dissolve the Nusrah Front and merge it with al-Qaida’s operation in Iraq, to form the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Al-Golani nonetheless pledged his allegiance to al-Qaida, which later disassociated itself from ISIS. In 2016, he also broke away from al-Qaida.

As he entered Damascus behind his victorious fighters Sunday, he dropped his nom de guerre and referred to himself with his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, the Associated Press reported.

“Syria deserves a governing system that is institutional, not one where a single ruler makes arbitrary decisions,” he said in an interview with CNN last week, offering the possibility HTS would eventually be dissolved after Assad falls.

“Don’t judge by words, but by actions,” he said.

Ferry de Kerckhove, former Canadian diplomat and former Canadian ambassador to Egypt, said Western nations might have to sit down with al-Golani.

“He has a bounty of $10 million that the Americans have put on him. I don’t know how he’s going to be received in various palaces in Europe and the states, but I think they’ll have to cancel that one because he is clearly a leader,” de Kerckhove said.

What are the early signs?

Since breaking with both al-Qaida and ISIS, al-Golani has sought to distance himself from both groups.

Evren Altinkas, adjunct professor at the University of Guelph, said al-Golani identified not only the Assad regime, but also ISIS as his enemy.

“Al-Golani understood the fact that if he continues to insist on his original Salafist Islamist ideology, he may not get the full support of Western media and world public opinion,” he said.

Altinkas said al-Golani has been aggressively pushing a message of moderation.

<(He wants to) tell the world and tell to the regional countries that he is not as he was before, and he wants to create a united, stable democracy in Syria. But, of course, it will be under the guidance of the Islamic rule."

De Kerckhove said the early signs from al-Golani are encouraging.

His very first measure, which I admire, was to allow the government to continue to run the show,” he said, referring to HTS’s decision to allow Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir to remain in office.

While his past as a former extremist commander has worried some observers, many are watching for what he has said in recent times.

In a recent interview with CNN, al-Golani said they would assure Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities would enjoy rights in Syria after Assad was overthrown.

“He’s saying all the right things that would give you hope,” Varner said.

He added, “He’s a bit of a chameleon. He swore loyalty to Zarqawi (Abu Musab al-Zarqawi) then to Baghdadi (Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) and broke with both and formed his own organization. Now he’s trying to look like a statesman. He’s a guy that changes with the times.”

Conclusion:

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria marks a significant turning point in the country’s history. The rise of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a coalition of Islamist groups, has raised concerns about the future of the country. While al-Golani’s past as a former extremist commander has worried some observers, his recent statements suggest a more moderate approach. The early signs are encouraging, but much remains to be seen.

FAQs:

Q: What is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham?
A: Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham is a coalition of northern Syria-based "Sunni Islamist insurgent groups" that evolved from Jabhat al-Nusrah, or "Nusrah Front."

Q: Who is Abu Muhammad al-Golani?
A: Al-Golani is the leader of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham. He has a $10 million bounty on his head.

Q: What are the early signs from al-Golani?
A: Al-Golani has sought to distance himself from both al-Qaida and ISIS. He has also been pushing a message of moderation and has said he would ensure Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities would enjoy rights in a future Syria.

Q: What are the implications of the fall of the Assad regime?
A: The fall of the Assad regime marks a significant turning point in the country’s history. The rise of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham has raised concerns about the future of the country, and the early signs from al-Golani are encouraging but much remains to be seen.