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Syria’s new Minister of Justice: A profile of Shadi Mohammed al Waisi
Shadi Mohammed al Waisi, Syria’s newly appointed Minister of Justice in the transitional government, has come under scrutiny after videos from 2015 surfaced showing him ordering executions while serving as a Jabhat al Nusrah judge. Born in Aleppo in 1985, he rose through the ranks of various sharia courts in rebel-held areas before the fall of Bashar al Assad in December 2024, issuing verdicts that included executions and amputations.
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Analysis: Who will form the core of Jolani’s unified army?
Abu Mohammad al Jolani, leader of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), has announced plans to dissolve existing factions and form a unified national army under centralized control in post-Assad Syria. The question is: who will constitute the core of this new national army?
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US military strikes Islamic State camps and personnel in central Syria
US Central Command continued to target the Islamic State’s network in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime. Twelve Islamic State fighters were killed during an operation that also targeted terror camps.
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Hayat Tahrir al Sham’s terror network in Syria
The Biden administration is reportedly debating removing Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) from the list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. However, while the group’s leader, Abu Muhammad al Jolani, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, attempts to portray HTS as moderate, a host of jihadist groups—many designated as Foreign Terror Organizations—fight under the banner of or are allied with HTS.
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Analysis: Who liberated Damascus? Unpacking the Southern Operations Room’s emergence
The Southern Operations Room, a coalition of armed groups active in southern Syria, was the first to enter Damascus, forcing Bashar al-Assad to flee. Although not formally affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the coalition’s shifting allegiances over previous years have heightened uncertainty regarding the situation in post-Assad Syria.
