US Offers $10 Million Reward for Capture of Rebel Leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani
The US State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the capture of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, who has been designated as a terrorist by the agency. Jolani is the leader of the rebel forces that have toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and is now the de facto leader of over 23 million Syrians and several million Syrian refugees.
Jolani, a former “foreign fighter” who fought against American forces in Iraq, has a complex history. He was freed from the notorious US-run prison Camp Bucca, where he was radicalized and recruited by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder of ISIS. Jolani then fought against the Assad regime with the backing of al-Baghdadi, and later founded the militant group Jabhat al-Nusra, which pledged allegiance to al Qaeda.
However, in 2016, Jolani broke away from al Qaeda and formed a new group, known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has focused on governing millions of people in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib. According to terrorism scholar Aaron Zalin, HTS has provided basic services to the population, unlike al Qaeda, which has promoted a global holy war.
Despite his terrorist designation, Jolani’s group has gained significant support among Syrians, who see him as a hero for toppling the Assad regime. The US State Department’s reward offer may reflect its concern about Jolani’s growing influence and potential to destabilize the region.
