Abu Muhammad al-Julani: The 'mysterious' leader of the group that inflicted a 'shocking' defeat on the Syrian army
"The Complex Truth About Al-Julani And The Syrian Army’s Defeat"
Pros:
1. Effective Military Strategy:
- Al-Julani’s leadership demonstrates strategic prowess, enabling his group to achieve significant victories against a larger, better-equipped army.
2. Unified Rebel Factions:
- His leadership has managed to unite various factions under a common cause, strengthening the opposition against the Syrian regime.
3. Symbol of Resistance:
- For some Syrians, al-Julani symbolizes resistance against government oppression and authoritarian rule.
4. Global Attention:
- His actions have brought international focus to the conflict, potentially increasing diplomatic pressure on the Assad regime.
Cons:
1. Extremist Ties:
- Al-Julani’s association with extremist groups like al-Qaeda raises concerns about the long-term implications of his group’s success for regional stability.
2. Human Rights Violations:
- His group has been accused of committing human rights abuses, complicating their image as liberators.
3. Destabilization Risks:
- Military victories by rebel groups can lead to further fragmentation and power struggles, creating a vacuum for extremist elements to thrive.
4. Threat to Peace Processes:
- Al-Julani’s hardline stance may hinder peace negotiations and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict.
When the Syrian city of Aleppo was captured by anti-government rebels, photos of a burly man wearing military uniform who led the attack emerged. The man’s name is Abu Muhammad al-Julani, who is the head of a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
After the capture of Aleppo, al-Julani’s name has once again become the center of debate and controversy. One reason for this is that the group he is leading is also sanctioned by Western countries, the United Nations and some Muslim countries, and it has been classified as a ‘terrorist group’.
Abu al-Julani is the central leader of the movement against the Bashar al-Assad regime in northwestern Syria and controls several areas, including Aleppo province. It is home to about 3 million people who were displaced by the Syrian civil war and is considered a stronghold of the anti-government movement.
However, the surprise attack that began a week ago is perhaps the most dramatic chapter in the life of Abu Jolani, one of the most mysterious and controversial leaders of the Syrian civil war.
Who is Abu Muhammad Jolani?
According to BBC Monitoring, there is different information about Abu Jolani's real name, his date and place of birth, and citizenship, which adds to his mysterious personality.
According to UN reports, Abu Jolani was born between 1975 and 1979, while Interpol puts his date of birth as 1975.
According to an interview given to the American TV network PBS, his real name is Ahmed Hussein and he is called Abu Jolani because of the Golan Heights, where his family has historical ties.
In the same interview, he said that he was born in 1982 in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, where his father worked as a petroleum engineer. His family returned to Syria in 1989 and he was raised near Damascus.
According to some reports, he studied medicine in Damascus but joined al-Qaeda in Iraq during his third year when the US invaded in 2003.
He is said to have quickly become a close associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the active leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, but after al-Zarqawi's death in 2006, he moved to Lebanon, where he trained the Lebanese militant group Jund al-Sham.
He is reported to have returned to Iraq, where he was captured by the US military and, after a brief period of imprisonment, joined the so-called Islamic State when he was released in 2008.
He is said to have been held at a US prison camp called Camp Baqa, where his ideas were solidified and he also developed ties with future leaders of the so-called Islamic State.
According to some reports, al-Jolani returned to Syria in August 2011 and opened a branch of al-Qaeda aimed at fighting President Bashar al-Assad. However, a Lebanese newspaper has claimed that al-Jolani is actually an Iraqi citizen and that his name comes from the area of Fallujah called the Golan, from which he hails.
After assuming leadership of the extremist group, Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Julani's personal information was reportedly kept so secret that even most members of the group knew nothing about their leader.
Separation from Al-Qaeda
In 2011, as the uprising in Syria turned into a civil war, Al-Jolani arrived in Syria on a special mission from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to establish a local branch of the Islamic State. In 2012, the ‘Al-Nusra Front’ was launched and became the Iraqi branch of the Islamic State.
However, in 2013, when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi formally announced the merger of Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State, Al-Jolani rejected it and declared his support for Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
This was a time when Al-Nusra Front was becoming militarily stronger. In July 2016, Al-Jolani announced that his group no longer had any ties to Al-Qaeda and that it should now be called Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.
In 2017, the group was formed into a coalition called ‘Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’, which also included other organizations, and Al-Jolani was its leader.
The organization prioritized local issues, and in 2021, al-Jolani told the American organization PBS in an interview that they had abandoned al-Qaeda's ideology of global jihad and that their goal was now to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and establish an Islamic system in the country.
In this interview, al-Jolani said that "even when we were in al-Qaeda, we were against targeting European or American targets. We never did that." He said that classifying Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist group was an "unfair" and "political" decision.
In 2013, when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi formally announced the merger of the Nusra Front and the Islamic State, al-Julani rejected it and declared his support for al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Aleppo
Al-Julani is said to adapt to the situation. At first, his ideologies were close to al-Qaeda, but he later adopted a local agenda.
Under his leadership, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham imposed an Islamic system in Aleppo province, established courts and even a police force. He has considerable influence in Aleppo, which is also considered the center of the opposition in Syria. This area is also important because it borders Turkey.
During this time, al-Julani showed expertise in local administration and diplomacy in addition to military operations, and emerged as a major player in the Syrian conflict.
In the areas controlled by his group, there is a government that manages the economy, health, education and security. Al-Julani has said that these areas are under “Islamic rule, but not under the ideology of the Islamic State.”
However, according to news reports and analysts, his group has adopted a harsh stance against its opponents. There are also reports that his group has tortured prisoners.
Al-Julani has denied these allegations and has invited human rights organizations to visit the prisons in the area under his control and assess the conditions there.
It should be noted that the US government also calls Al-Julani a “terrorist” and has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Related Topics:
#Syria #Al_Qaeda #Islamic_State #War
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