Names of 'Six Foreign Jihadists' Found in List of Senior Commanders of New Syrian Army

The new rulers of Syria announced a list of 49 senior commanders of the country's new military structure, and media reports from various sources indicate that the names of six 'non-Syrian jihadists' are also included in this list. French and Reuters news agencies reported on Monday, December 10, citing some sources, that these six individuals are citizens of China, Turkey, Jordan, and Albania. However, these agencies noted that they are not independently able to confirm the nationalities of these individuals. The names of these six individuals are mentioned in a list of 49 who were announced on Sunday to have been promoted. In a new list published with the signature of Ahmad al-Shara, the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and the current ruler of Syria, five individuals are listed with the rank of brigadier general, one of whom is 'Abdulaziz Dawood Khodabardi.' According to reports, this Chinese Uyghur militant is the leader of the 'Islamic Turkestan Party,' and the party's website congratulated him and two other Uyghurs who were given the rank of colonel (Mullah Tursun Abdulsamad and Abdulsalam Yasin Ahmad) on their new appointments. Additionally, three other foreign insurgents are reported to include Abdulrahman Hussein al-Khatib, a Jordanian citizen, Omar Mohammed Juftshi, a Turkish citizen, and Abdul Samriz Yashari, an Albanian citizen known as Abu Qatada al-Albani, who was designated as a terrorist by the U.S. Treasury in 2016. The spokesperson for the transitional Syrian government declined to comment on the nationalities of these individuals. According to Reuters, the entry of foreign jihadist insurgents into the structure of the Syrian army is likely to raise concerns among other countries and Syrian citizens. The French news agency also noted that the Syrian army and other military and security institutions in the country have effectively collapsed, recalling that Ahmad al-Shara had announced a few days ago that armed groups would be dissolved and would join the army. Throughout the Syrian civil war, thousands of foreign jihadists have entered Syria and joined groups such as al-Qaeda, the al-Nusra Front, and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham or formed their own groups in the country. These insurgents, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, ended Bashar al-Assad's rule with their entry into Damascus on December 9. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the majority of Syrians mentioned in this list are also members of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. Ahmad al-Shara admitted in an interview with Al Arabiya television on Sunday that so far, positions in the new government have only been given to members of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, promising 'broader participation' in the future. He also stated that drafting a constitution and holding elections in Syria could take up to four more years. In another news, Hadi al-Bahra, the head of the 'National Coalition for Syrian Revolution,' which is recognized internationally as an opposition group to Bashar al-Assad's government, announced that the new rulers of Syria did not invite him for negotiations or to join national dialogue. The interim government of Syria appointed Misa Saberine as the director-general of the central bank of this war-torn country on Monday, December 10. Ms. Saberine, who holds a doctorate in banking and was the first deputy governor of the central bank and a board member of the Damascus Stock Exchange during Bashar al-Assad's government, is the first woman to be appointed in the 70-year history of this institution in Syria. She is also the first woman to hold a senior specialized position at a time when Syria is trying to improve its damaged economy. The interim government inherits a severe financial crisis caused by war, mismanagement, sanctions, and widespread corruption during the 54-year rule of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. However, the value of the Syrian pound has significantly improved since the collapse of Assad's government. Meanwhile, Axios reported, citing several American officials, that a U.S. official conveyed Washington's concerns about recent violence against minorities in Syria to the new rulers of the country. According to Axios, Daniel Rubinstein, the U.S. State Department's Syria affairs official, met on Sunday in Damascus with Assad al-Shibani, the foreign minister of the transitional Syrian government. The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to this news. Last week, an American delegation, which included Mr. Rubinstein, met with the new rulers of Syria in Damascus. Axios reported, citing two American officials, that Daniel Rubinstein emphasized in his recent meeting that Washington is concerned about reports of violence against minorities in the country and that violence, intimidation, and revenge against minorities must stop. In recent days, videos have circulated on social media showing violence by insurgents led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham against Alawites. An American official also told Axios that the State Department is aware of such videos and is reviewing reports about such incidents. The new rulers of Syria have recently launched operations in Tartus province, a major Alawite stronghold, claiming that the aim of these operations is to arrest remnants of Bashar al-Assad's government and 'establish security.'