February 3, 2025 | Policy Brief

From Al-Qaeda Commander to Syrian President: Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s Ascent

February 3, 2025 | Policy Brief

From Al-Qaeda Commander to Syrian President: Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s Ascent

The seismic transformation of the Syrian political landscape continues. On January 29, the country’s de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formally assumed the presidency, while the country’s 2012 constitution was suspended and parliament dissolved. Al-Sharaa will remain president during a transitional period of undefined length. He is also empowered to appoint a legislative council that will have law-making abilities until a new constitution is adopted.

In the two months since he led the campaign to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad, al-Sharaa has increasingly concentrated power in his own hands, filling key positions with loyalists and family members. On January 30, in his first speech to the nation, he promised “free and fair elections,” having previously said elections may not take place for another four years.

Officially, Military Council Hands Al-Sharaa the Presidency

Al-Sharaa has been the dominant figure in Syrian politics since he led the military offensive that overthrew the country’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad, in early December. He held no official position but appointed a cabinet and received foreign envoys.

On January 29, representatives of the armed factions that fought Assad attended a “Victory Conference” in Damascus along with members of Syria’s transitional government. An announcement following the conference claimed that its members had appointed al-Sharaa as president and made other key decisions such as dissolving parliament. Yet this was likely an elaborate form of political theater since al-Sharaa has held uncontested power in most of Syria since Assad fled into exile. 

Military Factions Ordered to Dissolve, Integrate Into State Institutions

Before Assad’s downfall, al-Sharaa led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist force that became the most formidable of the Sunni Arab factions fighting Assad. Prior to commanding HTS, al-Sharaa led al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra. At the Victory Conference in Damascus, 18 armed factions including HTS agreed to dissolve themselves and become part of a unified force. All these factions were either part of the HTS-led Military Operations Command or the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army. In addition, all of these groups are composed of Sunni Arabs. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Druze militias from the southern governorate of Suwayda were notably absent from the conference.

Al-Sharaa Hands Power to Loyalists and Family Members

Until Assad’s downfall, al-Sharaa and HTS governed an enclave in northwest Syria that consisted mainly of Idlib province. After ousting Assad, al-Sharaa effectively imported the HTS government from Idlib to serve as a transitional government for Syria. The cabinet is largely controlled by HTS-affiliated members. Al-Sharaa also appointed HTS commanders Murhaf Abu Qusra and Ali al-Naasan as minister of defense and military chief of staff, respectively. He also appointed Anas Khattab, his right-hand man, as intelligence chief.

Al-Sharaa’s relatives hold key posts as well. His brother Maher is the minister of health, while Qutaiba Badawi, a relative of his third wife, is now head of the General Customs Administration, and Abdul Rahman Salameh, the brother of his fourth wife, serves as head of the presidential palace.

Sanctions Relief Should Depend on Al-Sharaa Keeping Promises

Al-Sharaa wants Western governments to lift all sanctions on Syria, yet he needs to demonstrate that he will neither allow Syria to become a sanctuary for terrorists nor establish an Islamist dictatorship. The Biden administration issued a general license that had the effect of suspending most sanctions on Syria until July 7, 2025. The new administration should revise the license to close major loopholes, including a lack of reporting requirements, that could let money flow to terrorist organizations. The White House should also let al-Sharaa know that further sanctions relief depends on his expulsion of terrorist organizations active in Syria and his implementation of measures to prevent money laundering and terror finance.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he focuses on Middle East affairs, specifically the Levant, Iraq, and Iranian intervention in Arab affairs as well as U.S. foreign policy toward the region. For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Issues:

Issues:

Al Qaeda Military and Political Power Sanctions and Illicit Finance Syria

Topics:

Topics:

Iran Syria Middle East Iraq al-Qaeda Washington Islamism Arabs Joe Biden Turkey Bashar al-Assad Sunni Islam White House Damascus Kurds Al-Nusra Front Druze Tahrir al-Sham Idlib Abu Mohammad al-Julani Al-Suwayda