Many in Syria are celebrating a stunning and unexpected political turn that caught much of the world off guard.
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declared victory for the “entire Islamic nation” on Sunday, in his first public remarks since the coup, which he said “marks a new chapter in the history of the region.”
But the change in power is shrouded by uncertainty, too. It’s unclear what a new governing system in Syria would look like, how it will work given the disparate groups and interests involved, and whether the reordering of power will only lead to further instability.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin cautioned on Monday that ISIS could attempt to “take advantage” of a power vacuum in the country.
Jolani has gone to great lengths to reassure Christian and Kurdish Syrians as his offensive spread across the country, but HTS has a history of harsh treatment against political enemies, and it is an open question whether his outreach will continue once the eyes of the world have moved elsewhere.
A video shared by the rebels Monday shows Jolani meeting with the regime’s outgoing prime minister, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, to discuss the transfer of power. Mohammed al-Bashir, the HTS-linked prime minister of the Salvation Government, which administers the rebel-held Idlib area of northern Syria, was also at the meeting.
The meeting in Damascus came after the outgoing prime minister pledged to cooperate with the rebels and endorse “a smooth and systematic transition of government functions” and preserve “state facilities,” in a message recorded after the rebels took Damascus.
