The leader of the Syrian rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which brought down the regime of President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend after a lightning offensive, stated that the West should not fear their victory, emphasizing that Syria is now headed for post-war reconstruction.
Abu Mohammad al-Julani made this statement in an interview, and he also expressed his preference to be addressed by his civilian name, Ahmed al-Shar’a.
According to him, HTS will no longer pursue further conflicts in Syria. Instead, the focus will be on the country’s post-war recovery. During a visit to a mosque in the Damascus suburbs, where he used to pray regularly in his youth, Julani said that Syrians are exhausted from war, adding, “Western fears are unfounded, God willing.”
“Syria is facing a period of rebuilding. The fears were tied to the regime. This country is now moving toward development, reconstruction, and stability. The people are war-weary, and this country is neither ready for nor will it enter another conflict,” Julani stated.
He identified the culprits behind the “insecurity” in the country.
“The source of concern was the Iranian militias, Hezbollah, and the regime, which committed the massacres we see today. Their removal is the solution for Syria,” he added.
Furthermore, it was reported that Julani arrived at the mosque surrounded by his bodyguards. There, he met dozens of his young supporters, who took selfies with him. Inside the mosque, he spoke about how Syria had been devastated by the corruption and greed of Assad’s family.
He also praised the efforts of his fighters, who, in his words, took control of Syria without any foreign assistance or interference. In a clear reference to Russian and Iranian support for Assad’s regime, he stated that all former colonizers had failed to dominate the country.
The HTS leader is a former member of the Islamic State in Iraq and previously led the Syrian branch of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda before severing ties in 2016. However, he now seeks to present himself as a more moderate Islamist leader, though his group is still classified as a terrorist organization by the United Nations (UN), the United States (U.S.), the United Kingdom(UK), and other countries.
HTS’s military success in Syria has raised concerns among minorities, including Kurds, Alawites, and Christians. However, Julani reassured that minorities have no reason to fear HTS.
“Our concern was the Iranian militias, Hezbollah, and the regime, which committed the massacres we witness today. Their removal is therefore the solution for Syria,” he concluded, Klix.ba writes.
