Syria's new de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, declared in an exclusive BBC interview that his war-torn nation no longer poses a threat to neighboring countries or Western nations, marking a significant shift in tone from the country's new leadership.
In the interview conducted in Damascus, al-Sharaa emphasized the need to lift international sanctions, arguing that the measures were designed to target the previous regime. "The victim and the oppressor should not be treated in the same way," he said.
Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, led the recent offensive that overthrew Bashar Assad's government less than two weeks ago and heads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant force in the rebel alliance. He now seeks to distance his organization from its designation as a terrorist group by the UN, US, EU, and UK.
Al-Sharaa directly addressed concerns about his group's past connections to al-Qaeda, which it separated from in 2016. He insisted that HTS does not target civilians and portrayed his organization as a victim of the Assad regime's actions.
Al-Sharaa rejected comparisons between his vision for Syria and Afghanistan's governance model, emphasizing Syria's distinct cultural traditions. He pointed to education initiatives in rebel-held territories, stating, "The percentage of women in universities is more than 60%" in Idlib province, which has been under rebel control since 2011.
When questioned about specific policies, the BBC reports that al-Sharaa deferred to future legal processes, saying that the "Syrian committee of legal experts" would write a constitution that all leaders would need to follow.
The interview showed al-Sharaa in civilian clothes, appearing relaxed as he attempted to reassure those skeptical about his group's break from its extremist past. Many Syrians remain unconvinced, and the actions of Syria's new rulers in the next few months will indicate the kind of country they want Syria to be – and the way they want to rule it.
