US removes reward for capture of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader, al-Julani

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) government withdrew the reward announcement for assistance in capturing al-Julani, the emir (head) of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The religious group overthrew the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, government in Syria in December in a surprise show of power that took everyone by surprise.

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The decision by the US government was made following a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US officials.

During the meeting, the emir of the religious group with al=Qaeda links promised not to allow terrorism in the United States and its neighbhouring countries.

Previously, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had set a $10 million bounty on al-Julani’s head.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is a militant group that has been actively involved in the ongoing 13-year long civil war in Syria. The militant group was formed in 2017 and has been engaged in fighting against the Syrian government forces and other factions in the Middle Eastern country.

The withdrawal of the reward announcement and the meeting between al-Julani and the US officials suggests a shift in the North American country’s approach towards how it will in future deal with crisis in the Middle East.

US president-elect Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, that his country would not involve itself with in Syria.

Abu Mohammad al-Julani is a Syrian militant who has served as the emir of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham since 2017.

He was born in Saudi Arabia to a Syrian family. Also known as Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, he joined the al-Qaeda in Iraq and fought there before he was held captive by US military forces in 2006.

Al-Julani was released in 2011 where he created the al-Nusra Front to take up arms against al-Assad.

With fall of the ISIS in Syria and Iraq, al-Julani reinvented himself by cutting al-Nusra’s ties to al-Qaeda. He fused together other militant organisations to form what would become Hayat Tahrir al-Sham by 2017.

The HTS emir promised to concentrate on Syria only and not participate in any global militant movements in an attempt to gain legitimacy. He has also promised not to let Syrian soil be used for attacks on Israel.

Read more: Syrian mass graves expose “machinery of death” under Assad, top prosecutor says

In a manner akin to the Taliban in Afghanistan, HTS is seeking to establish itself as a legitimate entity by implementing tax collection and even promising to incorporate Syrian armed forces into its new administration.

However, it already faces criticism and allegations of autocratic rule and suppressing any opposition voices.