I’m starting a new thread on Syria because the other one got derailed (partly by me).
Saw that HTS has been putting out statements saying that they are pulling fighters out of parts of Aleppo and handing governance back to the local authorities. They have also sought to assure minority groups that they are safe and are encouraging Alawites to defect.
Whats interesting about Jolani is that while he’s syrian he grew up in Saudi and Jordan and according to an arab podcaster I listen to, he still speaks in a Saudi accent. He broke with Baghdadi because he rejected the idea of a caliphate in Shria and then basically seemed to have managed to get anyone who was sent by Al-Qaeda to watch over him killed. I wonder if he’s developed away from extremism and moved towards patriotism ideologically. HTS have also been arresting SNA who have been looting peoples homes.
He is talking about creating civilian governance and eventually dissolving HTS in favour of a syrian military (but Charles Lister says he’s been saying that since 2015 so who knows).
I imagine the SNA will be evicted from power pretty swiftly if he wins. There is a tiny seed of hope that he isn’t actually as bad as he could be.
Still not a fan but he does seem to have experienced some sort of shift in perspective.