In 2017, HTS set up a so-called “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. You can change your uniform, but you will always be a terrorist. government’s Rewards for Justice show a photo of al-Golani wearing a light blue shirt and dark blue blazer with a caption in Arabic that reads: “Hello, handsome al-Golani. Posts on social media accounts of the U.S. The change in al-Golani’s public image appears not to have impressed the U.S. His fighters went after Islamic State group militants who fled to Idlib after their defeat and cracked down on Horas al-Din or “Guardians of Religion,” another militant group that includes hardcore al-Qaida members who broke away from HTS. Fatah al-Sham later merged with several other groups and became Hayat Tahrir al Sham.ĭuring that period, al-Golani showed his face publicly for the first time and changed his style of dress from white turbans and robes to shirts and trousers. In July 2016, the Nusra Front changed its name to Fatah al-Sham Front and said it was cutting ties with al-Qaida, in what was seen by many as an attempt to improve its image. WATCH: Syrians mark 12 years of civil war with no end in sight Militants and top officials from Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida flocked to the group’s base of operations in northern Syria, where many of them were later killed in U.S. ![]() and Turkey jointly slapped sanctions on two people who allegedly raised money for militant groups, including HTS.Īl-Golani rose to prominence in the early months of the Syrian uprising in 2011, when he became the leader of al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, known at the time as the Nusra Front. ![]() The United Nations also designates it a terrorist organization.Įarlier this month, the U.S. The meeting marked a significant step toward Damascus and Ankara restoring ties, even as the presence of Turkish troops in northwest Syria remains a sticking point.Īt the same time, the United States considers HTS a terrorist group and has offered a $10 million reward for information on al-Golani’s whereabouts. The foreign ministers of Russia and Iran, Assad’s main allies, also attended. Last week, the Turkish foreign minister met with his Syrian counterpart in Moscow, the first such meeting since 2011. Saudi Arabia, a one-time Assad foe, reversed course and led a push resulting in Syria’s return to the Arab League last week, after 12 years of regional isolation.Įven Turkey, the main remaining state backer of armed opposition groups in Syria, has signaled a shift. Countries that had once backed insurgents in Syria’s uprising-turned-civil-war are restoring relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad. The pivot comes at a time when al-Golani’s group is increasingly isolated. “We don’t want the society to become hypocritical so that they pray when they see us and don’t once we leave,” al-Golani said, pointing to Saudi Arabia, which has relaxed its social controls in recent years after decades of strict Islamic rule. ![]() For the first time in more than a decade, a Mass was performed recently at a long-shuttered church in Idlib province.Īl-Golani told a recent gathering of religious and local officials that Islamic law should not be imposed by force. Today the man known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani is trying hard to distance his group, Hayat Tahrir al Sham, known as HTS, from its al-Qaida origins, spreading a message of pluralism and religious tolerance.Īs part of the rebranding, he has cracked down on extremist factions and dissolved the notorious religious police. IDLIB, Syria (AP) - The leader of an insurgent group that rules much of northwest Syria rose to notoriety over the past decade by claiming deadly bombings, threatening revenge against Western “crusader” forces and dispatching Islamist religious police to crack down on women deemed to be immodestly dressed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |