The Syrian rebel coalition aims to oust dictator President Bashar al-Assad. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the head of the country's armed rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), said this in an exclusive interview with CNN. He said, the main goal of this revolution was and will be to overthrow this government. We will use all means to that end.
Zolani was once associated with an al-Qaeda branch. He stated that their goal is to overthrow the Assad regime and run the country through a popularly elected council.
He also said that the seeds of this government's downfall lie within itself. Although Iran and later Russia tried to save it, the truth is that this government is dying.
Rebels have taken control of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, and the strategic city of Hama in an overwhelming advance over the past week. The advance dealt a major blow to Assad and his allies Iran and Russia and reignited Syria's stalled civil war.
While HTS's military success has increased its power, the group's past ties and extremist Islamist ideology have been questioned. Although the group has dissociated itself from al-Qaeda, the United States designated HTS as a foreign terrorist organization in 2018.
In the interview, Jolani appeared in a new identity. He revealed his real name, Ahmed al-Shara, and announced plans to create a new Syria, breaking away from previous hardline positions.
He said, those who are afraid of Islamic governance either have not seen its proper implementation or have not understood it properly. After the fall of the Assad regime, an organized governance system and institutions will move towards running the country.
Jolani said his party is working to ensure the safety of minorities. He said, no one has the right to erase someone's existence. This region has seen the coexistence of people of different religions and castes for hundreds of years.
However, human rights groups have accused the HTS of suppressing protests in rebel-held areas and torturing political opponents. In this regard, Jolani said, action has been taken against those who committed the crime.
Zolani also advocated the withdrawal of foreign troops from Syria. If this government falls, foreign forces will no longer be needed, he said.
He added that Syria needs a regime that is institution-based, not on a single ruler.
Syria's ruling Assad family has been in power for 53 years. Thousands of people were killed, imprisoned and displaced under their rule.
“We are not just fighting against the Assad regime, we are participating in a larger project to build Syria,” Zolani said. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is only one part of this struggle. It is not an end goal, but a means.
