Syrian exile Hani Alagbar packed his bags with mixed feelings on Dec-8: Assadʼs government fell to HTS (a group that split from al-Qaeda about 8 years ago). Living in Lebanon since the early days of Syrian uprising he couldnt even attend his fathers funeral due to fear of arrest
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani – who now leads Syria started as a jihadi fighter in Iraq after US-invasion. His path went through different groups: he got $50‚000 to expand Islamic State later switched to al-Qaeda and finally made his own group HTS
A person in their twenties will have a different personality than someone in their thirties or forties‚ and certainly someone in their fifties. This is human nature
The new government runs Idlib region through something called Salvation Government which has:
* 11 ministries
* No women in leadership
* Islamic law-based system
* Council of selected men
Former Syrian diplomat Bassam Barabandi says from Washington that people want Assad gone but dont know if Jolani is good news or just another strict ruler. The ex-rebel leader (who stayed anonymous) tells about his sons torture in HTS prison – the 6.2-inch tall man now walks with a hunch
Human-rights lawyer Anwar Bunni thinks Syrian people wont accept hard-line Islamic rule. Alagbar feels better after hearing that local rebels control their home areas: Damascus folks control Damascus Aleppo people manage Aleppo. Still Jolanis change from wearing Arab robes to business suits doesnt convince everyone that heʼs truly different