It didn’t take long for the democratic façade to fade in Syria. What we all knew would happen sooner or later happened on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. That day, the leader of the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Julani (real name Ahmed Al-Sharaa), had himself named president of Syria for an indefinite “transitional period.” What do you want to bet that Al-Julani, who has traded his off-putting camouflage fatigues for a reassuring sober dark suit and tie, will still be president in five years? More on his appointment can be found here: “Syria’s Julani names himself transitional president, dissolves Baath institutions,” Jerusalem Post, January 29, 2025:
Syria’s de facto leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani was named president for a transitional period, the Syrian state news agency (SANA) reported on Wednesday, citing commander Hassan Abdel Ghani.
Syria’s constitution was also suspended and the existing parliament dissolved, according to the announcement by the spokesperson for the Military Operations Command….
And with every political party, every institution and community, every civil body now to be “dissolved and reformed into state institutions,” who will be in charge of all those state institutions? Why, at that pinnacle of power, none other than Abu Mohammed al-Julani.
Julani, the head of Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), said that Syria will not be used to destabilize any other Arab nation in an interview with Arab-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat in December….
But he did not mention how Syria would deal with non-Arab Iran, the main supporter of the Assad regime that is viewed with unassuageable hate by Syria’s Sunni rebels. Perhaps he will be glad to have Syria join in a pan-Arab front to stymie the regional ambitions of the Islamic Republic.
Nor did he mention, as one might have thought he would, Israel’s takeover of some territory on the Syrian side of the Golan. It is in this territory that the Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, says that the IDF will remain for the foreseeable future. Since Syria is in no condition to force Israel out of that territory, al-Julani prudently decided not to mention it. Besides, he may not want to openly oppose Israel when it seems likely that the Jewish state will finally put paid to Iran’s nuclear program, which is almost as much a potential threat to the Sunni-majority Arab states, like Syria, as it is to Israel.
Al-Julani has one huge problem: the enormous damage done to Syria’s infrastructure during the 13 years of civil war. The estimated cost of rebuilding Syria is between $250 and $400 billion. He knows such sums can only come from the richest Arab states of the Gulf — Saudi Arabia and the UAE. But he may also be hoping for some tens of billions of dollars from the United States. He wants to reassure those potential donors, Arab and American, by repeatedly reminding the world that his earlier support for ISIS and Al-Qaeda is a thing of the past.
Julani claims that he has different plans for Syria, pointing to other neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia, as examples of what a new Syria could look like.
Of course he has set his sights on winning Saudi favor, and Saudi money, by expressing a desire to emulate the kingdom. Exactly how Syria, now a poor country, could become “like Saudi Arabia” is entirely unclear. Saudi Arabia has a GDP of a trillion dollars; Syria has a GDP of $9 billion. Saudi Arabia has a sovereign wealth fund worth $950 billion. Nor is the UAE a plausible model. The UAE has a GDP of $520 billion. The Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund alone is worth $1.07 trillion. He needs their money, which means he needs their goodwill, and expressing a desire to be “like them” is one way to find favor.
After the announcement that Julani would take the presidency, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Sheibani declared, “We succeeded in drawing a decent Syrian identity that expresses the aspirations of our people, and establishes a country based on freedom, justice and dignity, in which everyone feels love for the homeland, belonging, giving and sacrifice.”
I look forward to seeing how that “freedom, justice, and dignity” to which Foreign Minister Al-Sheibani refers, is provided to those many minorities — Alawites, orthodox Shi’a, Christians, Druze, Kurds — that exist in a polity dominated by Sunni Arabs.
“Syria attaches special importance to its Arab ties, continues to strengthen its relations with neighboring countries, continues its path with determination and resolve, and paints a strong image that is increasingly effective in foreign policy through new partnerships,” he added.
All that was accomplished in less than a month of the new regime? I’m impressed.
Who needs a constitution when you have found your strong, wise, irreplaceable leader — none other than the man who did so much to bring down Bashar Assad — Abu Mohammed al-Julani? Was there something objectionable about the previous constitution? If so, why is there no mention of what that might have been? How long will it be until that new constitution can be adopted? Six months? A year? Five years? Never? As long as al-Julani is in control, his supporters will say, Syria is safe in the hands of its latest in a line of Supreme Leaders, and need not worry about not having a constitution, nor about not having a parliament, since the current one has just been dissolved. I thought it would end like this. Didn’t you?
Buraq says
Al Julani is a Sham, not just the country!
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Oh, he’s the new sultan. He’ll probably tower over Syria in the same way Erdogan or al-Sisi have a grip on their respective countries
Kepha (何矶法） says
Once upon a time, two smart little girls named Hillie and Sammie wanted to tell mean Georgie Dubya,
“Anything you can do, we can do better! We can do anything better than you!”
“Destabilize?”
“We;s gonna tries!”
“Mess up a region?”
“Our skills are legion!”
gravenimage says
The ‘Strong Horse’ — Ahmed al-Sharaa — Takes Over Syria
It didn’t take long for the democratic façade to fade in Syria.
………………………………
All grimly true…
Billy Corr says
Those of us who occasionally look at Christian websites will know soon enough how Christian communities in Syria are being treated.
As for Syrian Jews actually in Syria, there seem to be fewer than a dozen of them – despite what the normally-trustworthy Lyse Doucet has to say.
In any case, all eyes are now on the less-than-fragrant rubble of Gaza.
We can but hope for the best and wait and see.
jule says
In a state of Islam, the Qur’an IS the constitution and Sharia is the Law.
sporticus says
Will it be the usual arc of a tyrant’s trajectory?
Napoleon:
*The soldier from Corsica rides the the gigantic wave of the French Revolution, 1789.
*Becomes the “First among equals” in the revolutionary parliament which goes on military adventures throughout Europe.
*Crowns himself Emperor.
*Hubris: invades Russia in winter and returns to France defeated after finding Moscow deserted by army and people. (See Hitler’s identical folly.)
*Last gamble: goes up against the British and is finally defeated at Waterloo in 1812. (Comparable to Hitler’s last desperate push and the Battle if the Bulge.)
*Humiliation: The British merely incarcerated Napoleon on an island in the Atlantic where he died without protest. There’s a theory that the arsenic in the wallpaper wasn’t good for his health. (Hitler, of course, shot himself in his bunker.)
*Al Julani, 2025. Join the dots.
Tony says
The USA and the EU should provide NO MONEY and NO AID to ANY Muslim Country because of their terrorism, discrimination, and violence against all Non-Muslims. Islam is a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran and NOT A PEACEFUL RELIGION UNDER WESTERN LAWS(Quran 2:216; 4:95; 8:12,39,74; 9:5,29,41,49, 21:921; 88,111,123;21:92; 49:15 and more). More specifically, Islam is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Criminal Organization of continuous war, discrimination, segregation, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, deceit, hatred, incitement, sedition, rape, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran. Fundamentally, Islam funds, teaches, and promotes a Terrorist Criminal Enterprise. The FRUIT of Islam is incessant WAR, terrorism, discrimination, and violence against all Non-Muslims; this FACT must be taught and broadcast to the general public to prohibit Islam, its Mosques, and its Schools. Also, Islam is an Antichrist System terrorizing Israel, Christians, and Non-Muslims. Plus, there is NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW in Islam or in Islamic Law(Quran 98:6-7; 9:29 and more). In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 3:22,151; 69:30-32; 98:6.
Non-Muslims CANNOT have peace with Islam and its Muslims because Islam and its murderous god, Allah, demand a continuous, Muslim war against unbelievers where Non-Muslims are CRIMINALS under Islam when Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” HENCE, NON-MUSLIMS MUST MAKE ISLAM, ITS MOSQUES, ITS SCHOOLS, ITS ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. ILLEGAL UNDER THE LAW. Similarly, Islam and its many Organizations must be identified and publicly declared to be MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS for their funding, teaching, and support of terrorism, violence, and discrimination against Non-Muslims(eg. Quran 9:5,29,111 and more).
Islam promotes a limitless, terroristic, Muslim war against unbelievers when Allah in Qur’an 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”