The U.S. Cancels $10 Million Reward for Information on Jolani

On Friday, the United States canceled the $10 million reward set for information leading to the capture of Jolani under the State Department's 'Rewards for Justice' program. Barbara Leaf, the senior U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, announced on December 30 that the reward concerning Ahmad al-Shar' (known as Jolani), the leader of 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham', was revoked because he has committed to ensuring that 'terrorist groups cannot pose a threat inside or outside Syria.' Leaf also emphasized that considering the current situation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Syria, 'it will have no role and should not have one.' She added that the Iranian government has had 'the most predatory and destructive behavior and presence in Syria for decades, gathering its own forces, the Revolutionary Guards, and Hezbollah fighters during the foreign militants' war, and treating the Syrian people brutally.' Hours earlier, Ahmad al-Shar' (known as Abu Muhammad Jolani), the leader of the militants who overthrew Bashar al-Assad's government, stated that the overthrow of Assad's government 'set back the Islamic Republic of Iran's project in the region by 40 years.' In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat published on Friday, the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham said that Syria under Assad had become a platform for the Islamic Republic of Iran to control Arab capitals, incite wars, and destabilize the Gulf region through drugs like Captagon. He added that the removal of Iranian-affiliated militants and the Iranian government's influence in Syria served regional interests. According to al-Shar', this was achieved with minimal casualties, which could not have been realized through diplomacy and external pressure. The leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, who conducted this interview at the Syrian presidential palace, criticized previous Arab countries' efforts to normalize relations with Assad's regime, including its return to the Arab League. Al-Shar' further stated that the reconstruction of Syria is now a focal point and that the 'revolution' ended with the overthrow of Assad's regime, asserting, 'we will not allow it to expand to other places.' He emphasized that 'Syria will not be a platform for threatening or destabilizing any Arab country or the Gulf region.' According to him, Syria is 'tired of wars and being used for others' agendas,' and now the focus will be on building trust and reconstructing the country as 'part of the Arab world.' The leader's emphasis on the 'Arab' nature of Syria comes at a time when Kurdish groups have expressed concerns about their future in the country and called for the establishment of an inclusive government for all Syrian citizens, regardless of their language and religion. In this context, American and European officials have repeatedly emphasized the necessity of forming an inclusive and non-sectarian government in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship. After the peaceful protests of Syrian citizens against Assad's government began, the regime, with the support of Russia, the Iranian government, and Hezbollah, brutally suppressed opponents and protesters, resulting in nearly 14 years of civil war in Syria, with hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens killed and millions more displaced. The exposure of the Assad government's actions against children after torturing or killing their parents, the International Monetary Fund expressed readiness to assist Syria, U.S. diplomats in Damascus meet with representatives of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the Kurdish forces commander: after the ceasefire with Turkey, Kurdish volunteers are leaving, France seeks to lift sanctions and begin reconstruction in Syria; the main condition: comprehensive power transfer, discovery of unidentified bodies in a drug warehouse near 'Sayyida Zainab Shrine' in the suburbs of Damascus.