Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels, has emerged as a key player in the country’s ongoing conflict. With his group having captured Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, Golani has taken steps to reassure Syrian minorities who have long feared the jihadists.
Golani, who fought for al Qaeda in Iraq before severing ties with the organization in 2016, has rebranded his group and emerged as the de facto ruler of rebel-held northwestern Syria. His transformation is evident since rebels led by Golani’s HTS captured Aleppo, with him featuring prominently in messages aimed at reassuring Syrian minorities.
The transformation has been showcased since rebels entered Aleppo, with a video showing Golani issuing orders by phone, reminding fighters to protect civilians and forbidding them from entering homes. He has also visited Aleppo’s citadel, accompanied by a fighter waving a Syrian revolution flag.
Golani’s shift towards moderating his image is seen as a strategic move to attract more allies and gain support among the opposition. “He’s retooled, he’s refashioned, made new allies, and come out with his charm offensive” towards minorities, said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and head of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
While Golani and HTS remain hardline, their actions suggest they are no longer as rigid as they once were. “It’s PR, but the fact they are engaging in this effort at all shows they are no longer as rigid as they once were,” said Aron Lund, a fellow at think-tank Century International.
Golani’s journey began with his fight for al Qaeda in Iraq, where he spent five years in a U.S. prison before returning to Syria to build up al Qaeda’s presence. The United States designated Golani a terrorist in 2013, while Turkey has also designated HTS as a terrorist group.
Despite this, Golani has detailed how the Nusra Front had expanded from six men to 5,000 within a year and had never presented a threat to the West. He has also sought to distance himself from his past affiliations, saying he opposes the killing of innocent people and that his group’s involvement with al Qaeda has ended.
Golani’s newfound charm offensive towards minorities is seen as a nod to Syria’s more mainstream opposition and an attempt to present a more moderate image. With HTS administration seeking to assure Alawite minorities, Golani’s shift is viewed as a significant development in the Syrian conflict.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/abu-mohammed-al-golani-former-al-qaeda-chief-who-is-syrias-leading-rebel-2024-12-05