Al-Bashir asserts control in Syria
Mohammed al-Bashir has declared his intention to act as the country's caretaker prime minister until March. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The caretaker prime minister of Syria, a long-time ally of militant leader Mohammed al-Jolani, is Mohammed al-Bashir, who has announced his intention to serve in this role until March. Al-Bashir, who has been at the helm of a rebel-run shadow government since January, was designated for this position following discussions between al-Jolani and remnants of the former regime of President Bashar Assad.
During a televised address on Tuesday, al-Bashir revealed his plans just two days after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and US-armed Free Syrian Army militants surged into Damascus, leading to Assad fleeing the country for asylum in Russia.
Al-Jolani, once an Al-Qaeda commander and now the leader of HTS since its establishment in 2017, met with outgoing Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali on Monday. The former Assad ally agreed to transfer power to al-Jolani's Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in a process described as a “quick and smooth” transition, as reported to Sky News Arabia.
Headquartered in the jihadist stronghold of Idlib, the SSG has operated as a quasi-state in Syria since 2017. Al-Bashir, who is trained as an engineer, has been leading the SSG with the endorsement of al-Jolani since the start of this year.
HTS is classified as a terrorist organization by many countries, including Türkiye, which has been accused of both supporting the group and its predecessor, Jabhat al-Nusra. As HTS militants advanced toward Damascus last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly expressed encouragement for the jihadists, stating he hopes “this march in Syria continues without accidents or disasters.”
Moscow and Tehran have both indicated their willingness to remain in touch with Syria’s new leadership, urging HTS and its affiliates to abide by UN Security Council Resolution 2254. This resolution, adopted in 2015, advocates for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian Civil War, the holding of free elections, and the drafting of a new constitution.
Both the US and the UK have expressed that they might reconsider their terrorist designation of HTS. Similar to Türkiye, the US finds itself in a complex relationship with the group. The US officially designates HTS as a terrorist organization and has placed a $10 million bounty on information leading to al-Jolani's capture. Conversely, there have been accusations that the US has provided support to Al-Nusra, and former US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey has noted that the State Department has historically regarded al-Jolani as “an asset” in its strategy for the region.
Al-Jolani has committed to upholding the rights of Syria's religious minorities, yet some of his remarks have incited concerns about potential reprisal actions once his group assumes power. He stated in a televised address, “We will not hesitate to hold accountable the criminals, murderers, security and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people,” further promising rewards for information leading to the capture of Assad’s former security officials.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
During a televised address on Tuesday, al-Bashir revealed his plans just two days after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and US-armed Free Syrian Army militants surged into Damascus, leading to Assad fleeing the country for asylum in Russia.
Al-Jolani, once an Al-Qaeda commander and now the leader of HTS since its establishment in 2017, met with outgoing Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali on Monday. The former Assad ally agreed to transfer power to al-Jolani's Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in a process described as a “quick and smooth” transition, as reported to Sky News Arabia.
Headquartered in the jihadist stronghold of Idlib, the SSG has operated as a quasi-state in Syria since 2017. Al-Bashir, who is trained as an engineer, has been leading the SSG with the endorsement of al-Jolani since the start of this year.
HTS is classified as a terrorist organization by many countries, including Türkiye, which has been accused of both supporting the group and its predecessor, Jabhat al-Nusra. As HTS militants advanced toward Damascus last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly expressed encouragement for the jihadists, stating he hopes “this march in Syria continues without accidents or disasters.”
Moscow and Tehran have both indicated their willingness to remain in touch with Syria’s new leadership, urging HTS and its affiliates to abide by UN Security Council Resolution 2254. This resolution, adopted in 2015, advocates for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian Civil War, the holding of free elections, and the drafting of a new constitution.
Both the US and the UK have expressed that they might reconsider their terrorist designation of HTS. Similar to Türkiye, the US finds itself in a complex relationship with the group. The US officially designates HTS as a terrorist organization and has placed a $10 million bounty on information leading to al-Jolani's capture. Conversely, there have been accusations that the US has provided support to Al-Nusra, and former US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey has noted that the State Department has historically regarded al-Jolani as “an asset” in its strategy for the region.
Al-Jolani has committed to upholding the rights of Syria's religious minorities, yet some of his remarks have incited concerns about potential reprisal actions once his group assumes power. He stated in a televised address, “We will not hesitate to hold accountable the criminals, murderers, security and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people,” further promising rewards for information leading to the capture of Assad’s former security officials.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
