From global terrorist to de facto leader, Richard Swift explores Ahmed al-Sharaa’s tumultuous transformation and the uncertain future he now charts for Syria.
Syria’s new de facto leader exemplifies the political truism that ‘one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter’. Ahmed al-Sharaa ascended to power in December after leading the lighting revolt which overthrew the vicious dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad.
Amid tentative hopes of a peaceful future for a post-Assad Syria, al-Sharaa’s transformation from jihadist militant to tolerant statesman has raised many questions.
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