[The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the capture of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the rebel forces that toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Jolani, 42, has been a key figure in the Syrian conflict, first as a “foreign fighter” in Iraq and then as the leader of the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra, which later broke away from al Qaeda.
Since then, Jolani’s group, now known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has focused on governing the millions of people in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, providing basic services. Jolani has tried to distance himself from Sunni terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, and has reassured Syria’s minority Alawites and Christians that they have the right to coexist in the region.
Despite this, Jolani’s group has been accused of carrying out terrorist attacks, and the US State Department has designated him as a terrorist. The Biden administration is taking no chances over whether Jolani has the capability to manage the threat from ISIS, and has carried out more than 75 strikes at suspected ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria.
The fate of Jolani’s leadership will be a crucial test of his intentions and ability to govern the millions of people under his control. His treatment of Syria’s religious minorities will be a key indicator of his true colors, and will determine whether he can succeed in bringing order to the war-torn country.
In the meantime, the US is already involved in Syria with nearly 1,000 US troops deployed on an anti-ISIS mission. The future of those troops, and the US’s role in the country, will be a decision that President-elect Trump will likely face as he assumes office.
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