US cancels $10 million bounty on Jolani’s head

Last Updated on December 23, 2024 7:28 am

The Assad family’s rule in Syria began in the early 1970s. Bashar al-Assad has been ruling Syria for the past 24 years after his father, Assad al-Hafiz. And behind the fall of this long-standing regime was Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. Now known as Ahmed al-Shara.

Bashar al-Assad’s incredible defeat in the face of the rebels’ advance after just 12 days has surprised all international circles. When anti-government rebels took control of the capital Damascus on Sunday (December 8), he resigned and fled the country to Russia.

The US has declared Jolani a terrorist since 2013. In particular, his militia group was banned by the Trump administration in 2018 and a $10 million bounty was announced for his head.

But after 11 years, the US reversed its decision. Yesterday, top US officials held the first direct official meeting with Syria’s new rulers in Damascus. The team included Barbara Leaf, a top US State Department official, Roger Carstens, the president’s special representative for hostage affairs, and Daniel Rubinstein, a senior adviser.

Barbara later issued a statement about the meeting. She said her talks with Ahmed al-Shara, the head of Tahrir al-Sham, had gone well.

The US representatives stressed that no group in the country could pose a threat to Syria or the outside world. Barbara also said that the US had lifted the $10 million reward on al-Shara’s head.

After the fall of Assad, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had already announced that the US had been in direct contact with HTS.

HTS was once linked to the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. However, the group now says it has changed and wants to establish a system that works with everyone. Its main goal is now to build institutions.

Ahmad al-Shara said his country is tired of more than a decade of war. It is not currently a threat to its neighbors or the West.