Making A Deal With The Devil – Biden Embraces Terrorists In Syria

Ahmed Al-Sharaa aka Abu Muhammed Al-Jolani is the de facto leader of Syria. He is a dedicated jihadist who was sent to Syria by Al-Qaeda to overthrow the Assad government. He has a $10 million bounty on his head placed there by the U.S. Government.

Or at least he did.

The Biden administration just lifted it.

Al-Jolani is the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist terrorist organization. That organization is still on the American list of foreign terrorist organizations. The U.S. Department of State has described HTS as a vehicle for Al-Qaeda to pursue its objectives in Syria.

“In January 2017, al-Nusrah Front launched the creation of HTS as a vehicle to advance its position in the Syrian uprising and to further its own goals as an al-Qa’ida affiliate. Since January 2017, the group has continued to operate through HTS in pursuit of these objectives.”

“The Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, noted that ‘today’s designation serves notice that the United States is not fooled by this al-Qa’ida affiliate’s attempt to rebrand itself. Whatever name Nusrah chooses, we will continue to deny it the resources it seeks to further its violent cause.’ ”

Department of State 2017

None of that matters apparently. Al-Jolani, who was held by American forces for five years for orchestrating attacks on our personnel in Iraq is now OK in our book. He is our new ally.

The decision to drop the bounty on Al-Jolani’s head came after back-channel contacts between our Department of State and Al-Jolani. American diplomat Barbara Leaf told reporters after her conversations with Syria’s new jihadist leader that he was “pragmatic” and she enjoyed a “quite good, very productive, detailed” conversation with him.

The Rewards for Justice page previously maintained by the U.S. Government described him as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”. It noted that his group often targeted civilians in its attacks inside Syria.

“In April 2015, ANF [the Nusra Front] reportedly kidnapped, and later released, approximately 300 Kurdish civilians from a checkpoint in Syria.”

“In June 2015, ANF claimed responsibility for the massacre of 20 residents in the Druze village of Qalb Lawzeh in Idlib province, Syria.”

Al-Jolani has made a great show of reimagining himself as a moderate leader looking to unite all Syrians in a secular, tolerant society. That is all that it is – a show. He remains a dedicated jihadist. His group remains committed to jihad and the imposition of sharia rule in Syria. There will be no “inclusive” government in Damascus.

As Al-Jolani has formed his new government there has been no sign of an ecumenical democratic structure. Instead, clearly what is happening is exactly what happened in Kabul. Hardline Islamic radicals are being put in place in every key position.

“Almost all of the new appointees are cadres drawn from HTS, the rebel group Ahrar Al-Sham, an ideological twin, and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, which has found a new political life by swiftly aligning with him. For example, he appointed Jamal Al Sheikh, an HTS commander from an established Idlib clan as chief of police in Deraa, all the way on Syria's southern border, a clan member well-connected with HTS.”

The National.

Sheikh Anas Ayrout, an imam, is the new governor of Tartus. He previously taught Islamic theology at an HTS-controlled university in Idlib. Any number of other appointees have the same background. They previously ran parts of Syria controlled by HTS. Now they are going to run the whole country.

Perhaps more ominously, Al-Jolani is well down the road to replacing Syria’s secular legal system with one in which religious leaders “arbitrate” disputes. Complainants now go to an imam and plead their case. He decides the outcome. There is no appeal.

Asaad Al Shibani, who previously led the political department of the HTS's Idlib government, was appointed Foreign Minister on Saturday. Until earlier this year Al-Shibani lived in Turkey.

Murhaf Abu Qasra, a senior HTS commander known as Abu Hassan 600, has been appointed Syrian Defense Minister. Mr Abu Qasra played a major role in the military campaign that ousted Mr Al Assad this month.

What has happened in Syria is quite clear. It is effectively the same thing that happened in Afghanistan under this administration. A radical, jihadist organization has taken control of an entire country. That group will now transform Syria into yet another terrorist safe haven with the ultimate purpose of launching attacks on the West and continuing the quest to bring the entire world under the rule of an Islamic caliphate.

The enemy has not changed. What has changed very much under the Biden-Harris administration is how we respond to our enemies. Once we confronted them. Now we bend a knee and appease them. It just happened again. We just made a deal with the Devil in Syria. Standby for the delivery of pallets of cash to begin.