Fighters affiliated with the new Syrian administration take part in an operation to track down members of deposed President Bashar al-Assad's paramilitary forces in the city of Homs, Jan. 2, 2025. (Credit: HO/SANA/AFP)
Now that Syrian rebels from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group have snatched the power in Syria — after toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8 —, they must handle urgent matters one by one, including the issue of foreign jihadists on Syrian soil.On Dec. 29, Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of HTS and current de facto leader of Syria, decreed the appointment of former rebels, including foreign jihadists, to command posts within the future national army of the country. The announcement followed an agreement the previous week between the new authorities and the armed groups from the coalition that overthrew the Assad regime for their dissolution and integration, notably within the Defense Ministry. Thus, among other challenges, HTS must rebuild the Syrian army and restructure the state apparatus, while integrating the various factions...
Now that Syrian rebels from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group have snatched the power in Syria — after toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8 —, they must handle urgent matters one by one, including the issue of foreign jihadists on Syrian soil.On Dec. 29, Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of HTS and current de facto leader of Syria, decreed the appointment of former rebels, including foreign jihadists, to command posts within the future national army of the country. The announcement followed an agreement the previous week between the new authorities and the armed groups from the coalition that overthrew the Assad regime for their dissolution and integration, notably within the Defense Ministry. Thus, among other challenges, HTS must rebuild the Syrian army and restructure the state apparatus, while integrating the various...
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When power pivots overnight in the Middle East, context is everything.
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