2024-12-04
26 分钟A shock offensive on Aleppo turned Syria’s forgotten conflict into hot war. The group spearheading it, Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), has been at pains to present itself as a credible governing body, having renounced its jihadist past. With a bounty on his head, its leader, Abu Mohammed al Jawlani, has been spinning his propaganda machine in the northern province of Idlib, wearing western suits and taking selfies with the locals. We track his journey of transformation in this episode, first published in 2023. Producer: Kriszta Satori, Anne Dixey Presenter: Krassi Twigg
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The last few days have seen a forgotten conflict turning into a hot war in Syria.
A coalition of rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, or hts, has broken out of the northern province of Idlib to spearhead an offensive against the regime of Bashar al Assad and his Iranian and Russian backers.
HTS calls it Operation Repelling the Aggression.
The neutral language is part of a bigger rebrand aimed to distance the group from its jihadist roots.
The leader of HTS is no stranger to our jihadist media team.
They've been watching him for over 10 years and so have others.
Here's what the Americans once tweeted.
Oh, hello, Joe Larney, you handsome one.
What a cute suit.
You can change what you wear, but you are still a terrorist.
Don't forget the $10 million reward on your head.
This story is about an unusual jihadist venture into civilian governance.
Center stage is the man in charge of hts, Abu Mohammed Al Jolani.
Think of it this while the Islamic State group wants to be feared, he appears to want to be liked.
The Global Jigsaw tracked his journey of transformation in this episode, which was first published in 2023.