The U.N.'s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, arrived in Damascus on Sunday, where he met the leader of the Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, who now goes by his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. (Credit: AFP)
One week after the fall of the Syrian regime, the country’s new strongman, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al-Sharaa — better known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani — remains an enigma.However, L’Orient-Le Jour was able to speak with several figures who met him this week and who, for now, paint a rather positive picture of the man who could become Syria’s next president.“He seems like a pragmatic man,” said one of the sources — all of whom requested anonymity. They describe a leader closely attuned to international and regional developments, who emphasizes the importance of maintaining Syria’s unity and fostering dialogue with its various components. Read more After HTS rise to power in Syria, uncertainty looms for the Druze community “He is well aware of the existing threats and the forces seeking to divide or weaken Syria,” said...
One week after the fall of the Syrian regime, the country’s new strongman, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al-Sharaa — better known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani — remains an enigma.However, L’Orient-Le Jour was able to speak with several figures who met him this week and who, for now, paint a rather positive picture of the man who could become Syria’s next president.“He seems like a pragmatic man,” said one of the sources — all of whom requested anonymity. They describe a leader closely attuned to international and regional developments, who emphasizes the importance of maintaining Syria’s unity and fostering dialogue with its various components. Read more After HTS rise to power in Syria, uncertainty looms for the Druze community “He is well aware of the existing threats and the forces seeking to divide or...