They are trying to sell themselves as moderates. But they made their mark as Islamist jihadis
Celebration over the sudden downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s murderous regime in Syria has been tempered by pessimism over whether the rebels who took over are any better.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel army and its leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who now hold power in Damasus, are trying to sell themselves as moderates. But they made their mark as Islamist jihadis, fighting to unite a war-scarred country divided into fiefdoms ruled by various militias.
Seth J. Frantzman, a journalist and Israel-based adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, has monitored Syria for decades and authored After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East. He speaks with Mishpacha about Syria’s future.
“Assad looked strong on paper, but that was only because he was supported by Russia and Iran,” says Dr. Frantzman. “He was almost overthrown in 2011 — the county almost fell to ISIS. Syria’s army lost a third of its men in those fights and had trouble refilling the ranks. If you dug down, there were very few men and a lot of equipment that didn’t work.”
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