Nadene Goldfoot
Today on August 25, 2026, the United States officially removed Syria from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism after 47 years. This is an oy vey day!!!The president of Syria is the former well-known terrorist, Julani, hated by the citizens of Syria as much as they were hating Assad, their former President-an optometrist, no less. Yes, Bashar al-Assad was trained as an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor) rather than an optometrist. Jolani was a terrorist from the get go!!!Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, now known as Ahmed al-Sharaa, spent decades in radical militant networks and was officially designated a global terrorist by the United States in 2013. His background aligns with a well-documented history in extremist organizations.
- 2003: Jolani traveled to Iraq to fight against the U.S. invasion shortly after it began.
- 2006–2011: U.S. forces arrested him in Iraq. He spent more than five years in detention, including time at Camp Bucca.
- 2011: Jolani returned to Syria as the civil war started.
- The Group: He founded Jabhat al-Nusra, which operated as an official affiliate of Al-Qaeda.
- 2013: Terrorist Status: The U.S. State Department designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2013 and placed a $10 million reward for his capture. Investigations by programs like FRONTLINE detailed his roadmap through these militant groups.
- 2016: Jolani publicly announced a split from Al-Qaeda to focus operations inside Syria.
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: He led the Islamist faction known as HTS, which governed the Idlib region.
- December 2024: HTS led the rebel offensive that successfully toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad.
- Name Change: Following Assad's fall, he largely stopped using the name al-Jolani, reverted to his birth name Ahmed al-Sharaa, and assumed a central role in Syria's interim leadership.
- You will never find an honest Syrian agreeing with Donald Trump, but as a naive American, he admired Jolani, "Donald Trump first praised Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) on May 14, 2025. While speaking with reporters on Air Force One during a Middle East tour, Trump described al-Sharaa as a "young, attractive, tough guy" with a "very strong past" and stated that he "has got a real shot at pulling it together"
- Six months ago, he was on the FBI's terror list. Today, he's shaking hands with Donald Trump. Meet Muhammad al-Jolani — ex-Al-Qaeda commander, ...
- President Donald Trump’s administration has shifted U.S. policy to engage with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda-linked militant who took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
- Past Ties: Al-Sharaa previously fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq and led the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
- White House Visit: President Trump hosted al-Sharaa for historic talks at the White House, marking the first time a Syrian leader visited the U.S. presidential mansion.
- Delisting: The U.S. government removed both HTS and al-Sharaa from its lists of designated terrorists.
- Support: Proponents argue that normalization and sanctions relief will help rebuild war-torn Syria, bring economic stability, and stop the spread of ISIS.
- Concerns: Critics and some U.S. lawmakers have questioned al-Sharaa's past, citing worries about sectarian violence and human rights under his new government. Yes, their concern might even go as far as asking the Syrians on the streets how they feel about embracing a terrorist they have to listen to for fear of the prison so many have wound up in.
- I believe Trump admires a person who controls many; and he admires this terrorist in disguise of his old self, al-Sharaa. This means that Trump might feel he can control Jolani to answer to his beck and call. Syrians know that nothing will change for them with al-Sharaa/Jolani sitting in the Presidential chair.
References: - Al jazeera
- facebook
- ABC
- The Hill
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