It is hard not to rejoice while watching images of ecstatic Syrians toppling statues from the regime of the deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad and hearing the shouts of joy of prisonersfreeslots com slot machine, many of whom may have been tortured and starved, released from his dungeons. Mr. al-Assad’s Syria was brutal for the regime’s opponents, and 13 years of civil war and a kleptocratic regime made life dangerous and miserable for ordinary Syrians. In addition to striking a blow for human freedom, Mr. al-Assad’s fall also removes an Iranian-backed, anti-American and anti-Israel dictator from the Middle East chessboard.
And yet it is hard not to also feel uneasy. Having watched similar images of Afghans freed from the Taliban’s violent rule in 2001 and jubilant Iraqis in 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein, one worries that Syrians’ sense of deep relief today could be followed by a new set of horrors tomorrow.
One of the biggest uncertainties facing Syrians and the country’s neighbors is the true nature of their liberators. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (H.T.S.) has led the latest round of anti-regime offensives to victory, and it is now the dominant player among the diverse opposition that formed against Mr. al-Assad over his 24 years in power. The United States has designated H.T.S. and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, as terrorists; there is even a $10 million price on Mr. al-Jolani’s head.
H.T.S., like the Islamic State, grew out of Jabhat al-Nusra, which in turn emerged from Al Qaeda in Iraq. Mr. al-Jolani was initially loyal to Al Qaeda when ISIS split from it but, in 2016, he publicly rejected the organization and formed H.T.S. a year later. Mr. al-Jolani has repeatedly stated that he opposes foreign terrorist attacks and rejects an ISIS-type caliphate, and in H.T.S.-controlled areas he has tried to suppress fighters loyal to Al Qaeda and ISIS. This is encouraging, but it is also possible that the H.T.S. leader has merely been pragmatic, turning against these groups temporarily in a bid for power, and could be willing to work with them once again in the future.
How whatever government takes shape will govern Syria’s diverse population is another open question. Mr. al-Jolani has told Christian, Druse and other minority leaders that they are free to worship, but his followers remain committed to an extreme version of Islam, and the group’s track record is mixed. The U.S. State Department reports that H.T.S. has committed human rights abuses against minorities and seized the property of displaced Christians. In parts of the country that have been under its control, H.T.S. has placed limits on public displays of Christianity, even when it tolerated Christian worship.
Even if H.T.S. itself reins in its most extreme elements, the Islamic State may grow in power. Well before the latest offensive, the Islamic State was on pace in 2024 to double its number of attacks in Iraq and Syria during 2023. It now has an estimated 2,500 fighters in Iraq and Syria, with established training camps in remote areas. Thousands of Islamic State fighters are also detained in Syria, and some may be released. As various opposition groups scramble for power, the Islamic State may gain more territory and freedom for its operations.
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