A 37-year-old graduate of Damascus University, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, has been appointed as Syria’s new caretaker foreign minister. Shibani is a founding member of Al-Qaeda in Syria and previously led the political department of the National Salvation Government in Idlib.
The opposition Syria TV reported that Shibani was known as Zaid al-Attar until 2024 and oversaw the transformation of the Nusra Front into HTS. He worked closely with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who launched an assault on Idlib in November and toppled several cities, including Aleppo, Hama, and Homs.
Shibani’s appointment has been met with mixed reactions from Western powers and Syrians. While some see the new government as a welcome change, others are concerned about its Islamist leanings. Reuters noted that it remains unclear whether HTS will impose strict Islamic rule or show flexibility towards democracy.
The US previously designated Sharaa as a terrorist in 2013 but has since lifted the $10 million bounty on his head, citing a desire to more openly support him and his new government. Sharaa’s past involvement with Al-Qaeda has raised concerns about the stability of the new Syrian government.
Source: https://thecradle.co/articles/former-al-qaeda-in-syria-founder-named-as-caretaker-foreign-minister