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Pro-Iranian Iraqi network releases documents on Ahmad al Sharaa’s identity
Sabereen News, a media outlet affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq, released an exposé on Syrian interim President Ahmad al Sharaa that includes documents revealing his identity during his time as a prisoner in US and Iraqi custody.
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Analysis: Why do Iraqi Shiites hate the new Syria and its leader?
Many Iraqi Shiites have showcased a deep hatred of Syrian interim President Ahmad al Sharaa and his new government following the fall of dictator Bashar al Assad. Sharaa’s unpopularity can be explained by his history as a jihadist, as well as the Iran-led Axis of Resistance’s defeat in Syria.
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Syrian government forces enter Afrin, signaling a change in control
The new Syrian government in Damascus sent a convoy of vehicles from the General Security Department to Afrin, a historically Kurdish city and district in northwest Syria. In 2018, Turkey launched a military operation into Afrin and backed the Syrian National Army (SNA) to run the district. The deployment by Damascus appears to represent a significant shift after five years of rule by the SNA.
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US airstrike kills Al Qaeda operative in Syria
CENTCOM described Muhammad Salah al Zabir as “a senior operative in the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din.” The strike takes place less than two weeks after the Trump administration took office and may signal a change in policy toward Syria.
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Ahmad al Sharaa’s Victory Conference: Syria’s new era and an exclusive translation of Sharaa’s speech
Syria’s new leaders hosted a conference at which Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al Jolani) was appointed as the president of Syria for the transitional period. Additionally, a number of Syrian armed factions agreed to integrate into a unified army.
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Profiles of new Syrian military leadership
On December 21, Abu Mohammad Jolani, also known as Ahmad al Sharaa, convened a meeting with numerous leaders of Syrian armed factions and local figures to discuss plans for unifying these militias into a new Syrian army. FDD’s Long War Journal has identified and profiled many of those who participated.
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US removes $10 million reward for Hayat Tahrir al Sham leader
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said the bounty was lifted on Abu Mohammad al Jolani because it would be “a little incoherent […] to have a bounty on the guy’s head” as she sat down to talk with him. The US government currently lists Jolani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for his ties to Al Qaeda and Hayat Tahrir al Sham as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
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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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Israel’s Bashan Arrow operation in Syria continues
Israel’s Bashan Arrow operation in Syria continues. The Israelis have strengthened their presence in the Golan Heights DMZ and targeted more critical assets belonging to the former Assad regime.
