Who is al-Julani, Syria’s rebel leader seeking to establish Islamic rule?

Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), gained significant attention for his dramatic offensive against former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Julani, formerly associated with banned terrorist organisations, has vowed to establish Islamic rule in Syria.

His group, HTS, is sanctioned by Western nations, the United Nations, and several Muslim countries, and is officially classified as a terrorist organisation.

Despite his high-profile role, much about Julani remains shrouded in mystery. Conflicting reports surround his real name, birthplace, and citizenship. 

The United Nations listed his birth year as between 1975 and 1979, while Interpol authorities claimed he was born in 1975. 

In a 2021 interview with PBS, Julani revealed his real name as Ahmed Hussain, attributing his title "Abu Julani" to his family's historical ties to the Golan Heights. 

He stated he was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1982, where his father worked as a petroleum engineer. His family later returned to Syria, where Julani grew up near Damascus.

Reports suggest the HTS leader studied medicine in Damascus but joined al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2003 during the US invasion. He quickly rose in the ranks and became a close associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

After al-Zarqawi's death in 2006, Julani reportedly moved to Lebanon, where he trained fighters with Jund al-Sham. By 2008, he had returned to Iraq, where he was detained by US forces but later released.

In 2011, amidst Syria's civil war, Julani returned to his homeland, reportedly on a mission to establish a local branch of the Islamic State. 

The following year, he founded the al-Nusra Front as an extension of al-Qaeda in Iraq to combat Bashar al-Assad's regime. 

However, in 2013, when Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced a merger with the al-Nusra Front, Julani rejected the alliance, aligning instead with al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Under Julani’s leadership, the al-Nusra Front grew in power. 

In 2016, he publicly distanced the group from al-Qaeda, renaming it the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. A year later, it evolved into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of several factions, with Julani at the helm.

Julani has since claimed to have abandoned the ideology of global jihad. 

In his PBS interview, he emphasised that HTS prioritises local Syrian issues, aiming to establish an Islamic governance system in the country.

Despite these assertions, the US government continues to view Julani as a terrorist, offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture. 

His role in HTS and the ongoing conflict in Syria remains highly polarising, with critics questioning his motives and actions amidst Syria’s complex political landscape.