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Mohammed al-Julani: A new leader or an old terrorist?
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, former al-Qaeda leader, could become Syria's new strongman - a dangerous change of power is imminent.
Mohammed al-Julani: A new leader or an old terrorist?
Mohammed al-Julani, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has established himself as the new strongman in Syria. Once a radical Islamist and leader of the Al-Nusra Front, considered an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, he is now trying to present himself as a moderate leader of the now-renamed group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This comes from reports from the Austrian news and the Aargauer Zeitung out. The 42-year-old Julani has quickly gained control of strategically important areas in Syria and has distanced himself from his extremist roots.
In 2003, Jullani joined militant groups in Iraq, where he fought against U.S. troops. However, since the Syrian war broke out in 2011, he has increasingly positioned himself as the leader of a rebel group that wants to distance itself from extremist ideologies. Today he claims to be seeking a peaceful transfer of power, while international intelligence agencies continue to classify him as a terrorist and have put a $10 million bounty on his head. Julani himself describes his intentions on social media as the creation of an “institutional government” that also guarantees minority rights, which has given him a certain prestige among the Syrian population.
A dubious image change
The geostrategic situation in Syria remains tense. The question of whether the United States and the international community can ultimately trust Dzhullani is complicated by his complex ties to the past and ongoing conflicts in the region. The big challenge for world politics will be whether Dzhulani is actually ready to bring about real change or whether it is just a sophisticated deception.