Ahmed al-Sharaa

Ahmed al-Sharaa
Ahmed al-Sharaa
أحمد الشرع
	Al-Sharaa in 2024
Leader of Syria
	De facto
	Assumed office ; 8 December 2024
Prime Minister	Mohammed al-Bashir
Preceded by	Bashar al-Assad (as president)
2nd Emir of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 1 October 2017
Preceded by	Abu Jaber Shaykh
Emir of the al-Nusra Front
	In office; 23 January 2012 – 28 January 2017
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa; 29 October 1982 (age 42); Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Political party	Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
Parent	Hussein al-Sharaa (father)
Relatives	Maher al-Sharaa (brother)
Nickname	Abu Mohammad al-Julani
Military career
Allegiance	Syrian transitional government (2024–present); Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (2017–present); Formerly Al-Qaeda (2003–2016) ; Al-Qaeda in Iraq (2004–2006); Mujahideen Shura Council; (January 2006 – October 2006); Islamic State of Iraq; (October 2006 – 23 January 2012); Al-Nusra Front (2012–2016); Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (2016–2017); Syrian Salvation Government (2017–2024); ;
Years of service	2003–present
Rank	Commander-in-chief (HTS)
Battles / wars	See list Iraq War Iraqi insurgency 2003–2006 phase; ; ; Syrian civil war Inter-rebel conflict 2016 Idlib clashes; 2017 Idlib clashes; 2020 Idlib clashes; 2021 Idlib clashes; 2022 Aleppo clashes; ; 2014 Idlib offensive; 2015 Idlib offensive; 2017 Hama offensive; Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017–February 2018); Idlib demilitarization (2018–2019) 2018 Aleppo clashes; ; Dawn of Idlib; Dawn of Idlib 2; 2024 Syrian opposition offensives Battle of Aleppo; Hama offensive; Homs offensive; ; ; ;

Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa^[b] (born 29 October 1982),^[5] also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani,^[c] is a Syrian revolutionary, military commander and politician who has been widely regarded as the de facto leader of Syria since 2024.^[8] As the emir of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) since 2017, he played a key role in the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives, which led to the downfall of the Assad regime and establishment of the Syrian transitional government.

Al-Sharaa was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to a Syrian family from the Golan Heights. Shortly before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he joined al-Qaeda in Iraq and fought for three years in the Iraqi insurgency. American forces captured and imprisoned him from 2006 to 2011. His release coincided with the Syrian revolution, and he created the al-Nusra Front in 2012 with the support of al-Qaeda to take part in the Syrian civil war against the Ba'athist government of Bashar al-Assad. As emir of the al-Nusra Front, al-Sharaa built a stronghold in the northwestern Idlib Governorate and opposed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's attempts to integrate al-Nusra into the Islamic State. This dispute led to open conflict between al-Nusra and the Islamic State.

The U.S. State Department listed al-Sharaa as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" in May 2013,^[9] and four years later announced a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.^[10] The reward offer was rescinded in December 2024 after al-Sharaa met with an American delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara A. Leaf.

In 2016, al-Sharaa cut al-Nusra's ties with al-Qaeda, merging it with other organizations to form Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham the following year. Since breaking with al-Qaeda, he has sought international legitimacy by focusing on governance in Syria rather than global jihadist goals. HTS established an administration in the territory it controls, collecting taxes, providing public services, and issuing identity cards to residents, though it has faced criticism for authoritarian tactics and suppressing dissent.^[11] In recent years, he has presented a more moderate view of himself, suggesting he has no urge to wage war against Western nations, and has vowed to protect Syria's minorities.^[12]^[13]^[14]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

^ "State Department amends terror designation for al Nusrah Front | FDD's Long War Journal". June 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
^ https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/12/11/syria-rebel-leader-jolani-hts-al-qaeda-islamic-state-isis/
^ https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/what-know-about-man-who-toppled-assad
^ https://www.degruyter.com/search/parent/9780520964037?query=nineveh+jolani&documentVisibility=all
^ "Ahmad al-Sharaa reveals his true date of birth" (in Arabic). An-Nahar. 30 December 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
^ Cite error: The named reference ToI13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Syria's shock insurgency?". AP News. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
^
- Salame, Richard (29 December 2024). "Syrian elections may not be held for 4 years, says de facto leader". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024.
- Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (19 December 2024). "Syria's de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024.
- Jewers, Chris (19 December 2024). "Syrian rebel leader says women's education will continue – but refuses to be drawn on alcohol". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's de facto leader, said he believed in education for women as he denied the new government would be another version of the Taliban.
- Bowen, Jeremy (18 December 2024). "Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said the country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the West.
- Griswold, Eliza (17 December 2024). "Reasons to Leave Syria—and to Return". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. He wanted to see how Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the head of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham—an Islamist group formerly linked to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda—and now the de-facto leader of Syria, behaved.
- Maher, Hatem (14 December 2024). "Syria's de facto leader not interested in new conflicts despite Israeli attacks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024.
^ "Terrorist Designations of Al-Nusrah Front Leader Muhammad Al-Jawlani". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
^ Cone, Allen (10 May 2017). "U.S. offers $10M reward for information on al-Nusra leader". United Press International. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
^ Rasgon, Adam; Abdulrahim, Raja (8 December 2024). "Who Is the Leader of Syria's Rebel Offensive?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
^ Karadsheh, Jomana; Tuysuz, Gul; Laine, Brice; Kent, Lauren; Kourdi, Eyad (6 December 2024). "Syrian rebel leader says goal is to 'overthrow' Assad regime". CNN. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
^ Taylor, Adam (6 December 2024). "Who is Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist rebel leading the Syrian advance?". The Washington Post.
^ Abdulrahim, Raja (6 December 2024). "Leader of Syria's Resurgent Rebels Lays Out Strategy to Oust Assad". The New York Times.

[2] "State Department amends terror designation for al Nusrah Front | FDD's Long War Journal". June 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.

[3] ttps://foreignpolicy.com/2024/12/11/syria-rebel-leader-jolani-hts-al-qaeda-islamic-state-isis/

[4] ttps://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/what-know-about-man-who-toppled-assad

[5] ttps://www.degruyter.com/search/parent/9780520964037?query=nineveh+jolani&documentVisibility=all

[7] "Ahmad al-Sharaa reveals his true date of birth" (in Arabic). An-Nahar. 30 December 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.

[ToI13-8] Cite error: The named reference ToI13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[9] "Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Syria's shock insurgency?". AP News. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.

[11] 
Salame, Richard (29 December 2024). "Syrian elections may not be held for 4 years, says de facto leader". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024.
Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (19 December 2024). "Syria's de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024.
Jewers, Chris (19 December 2024). "Syrian rebel leader says women's education will continue – but refuses to be drawn on alcohol". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's de facto leader, said he believed in education for women as he denied the new government would be another version of the Taliban.
Bowen, Jeremy (18 December 2024). "Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said the country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the West.
Griswold, Eliza (17 December 2024). "Reasons to Leave Syria—and to Return". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. He wanted to see how Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the head of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham—an Islamist group formerly linked to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda—and now the de-facto leader of Syria, behaved.
Maher, Hatem (14 December 2024). "Syria's de facto leader not interested in new conflicts despite Israeli attacks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024.

[9] Salame, Richard (29 December 2024). "Syrian elections may not be held for 4 years, says de facto leader". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 29 December 2024.

[10] Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (19 December 2024). "Syria's de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024.

[11] Jewers, Chris (19 December 2024). "Syrian rebel leader says women's education will continue – but refuses to be drawn on alcohol". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's de facto leader, said he believed in education for women as he denied the new government would be another version of the Taliban.

[12] Bowen, Jeremy (18 December 2024). "Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said the country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the West.

[13] Griswold, Eliza (17 December 2024). "Reasons to Leave Syria—and to Return". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. He wanted to see how Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the head of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham—an Islamist group formerly linked to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda—and now the de-facto leader of Syria, behaved.

[14] Maher, Hatem (14 December 2024). "Syria's de facto leader not interested in new conflicts despite Israeli attacks". Reuters. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024.

[12] "Terrorist Designations of Al-Nusrah Front Leader Muhammad Al-Jawlani". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2017.

[13] Cone, Allen (10 May 2017). "U.S. offers $10M reward for information on al-Nusra leader". United Press International. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2024.

[NYT24-14] Rasgon, Adam; Abdulrahim, Raja (8 December 2024). "Who Is the Leader of Syria's Rebel Offensive?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.

[CNN24-15] Karadsheh, Jomana; Tuysuz, Gul; Laine, Brice; Kent, Lauren; Kourdi, Eyad (6 December 2024). "Syrian rebel leader says goal is to 'overthrow' Assad regime". CNN. Retrieved 18 December 2024.

[16] Taylor, Adam (6 December 2024). "Who is Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist rebel leading the Syrian advance?". The Washington Post.

[17] Abdulrahim, Raja (6 December 2024). "Leader of Syria's Resurgent Rebels Lays Out Strategy to Oust Assad". The New York Times.

[a]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[b]

[5]

[c]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

Ahmed al-Sharaa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia