‘New historical past written’ says HTS chief al-Julani in Syria victory speech

The chief of the primary Syrian opposition armed group that seized Syria’s capital, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has mentioned the Syrian individuals are the “rightful homeowners” of the nation after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, and declared a “new historical past” has been written for your complete Center East.

Arriving in Damascus simply hours after his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) insurgent group led the seize of town on Sunday, the chief gave a victory speech within the capital’s symbolic Umayyad Mosque.

As daylight broke, Syrians woke as much as a dramatically modified nation, after opposition forces swept into Damascus following a lightning offensive. They declared that that they had toppled the federal government of “tyrant” Bashar al-Assad, who fled Syria within the early hours of Sunday and is in Russia, in accordance with Russian media experiences.

“The [al-Assad] regime has imprisoned 1000’s of its personal civilians unjustly and with out them committing any crimes,” al-Julani advised a crowd gathered on the Umayyad Mosque.

“We [the Syrian people] are the rightful homeowners [of this country]. Now we have been combating, and immediately we’ve been rewarded with this victory.”

“How many individuals have been displaced the world over? How many individuals lived in tents? What number of drowned within the seas?” requested al-Julani, who has begun to go by his actual identify, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

“A brand new historical past, my brothers, is being written in your complete area after this nice victory,” he mentioned earlier than reminding the group that it might take arduous work to construct a brand new Syria that will be “a beacon for the Islamic nation”.

The chief known as for prayers to present thanks for the triumph.

“God won’t fail you,” al-Julani mentioned. “This victory is for all Syrians; they have been all a part of this victory.”

Concentrate on unity

Al-Julani beforehand led the Syrian department of al-Qaeda, al-Nusra Entrance, earlier than distancing himself from the group.

Nonetheless, HTS continues to be thought-about a “terrorist” group by the USA, the European Union and Turkiye, and has been accused by human rights teams of committing abuses in Idlib, the place it has ruled a lot of the province since 2017.

Al-Julani and HTS have sought to alter that notion, specializing in a message of unity since their offensive started, and highlighted in al-Julani’s speech within the Umayyad Mosque.

Talking from the Lebanon-Syria border, Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi mentioned that there have been two vital components of the HTS chief’s speech.

“He pushed this concept that there shouldn’t be vengeance … that Syria for all Syrians, needs to be one thing that individuals ought to give attention to,” mentioned Basravi.

“He additionally criticised the Iranian authorities and its involvement in Syria, making the purpose that that is now not going to be a authorities that can be affected by Iran as an out of doors actor.”

Al-Julani was filmed prostrating in prayer on Sunday after he arrived in Damascus.

A press release learn earlier on Sunday on Syrian state tv, which rebels took over, quoted al-Julani as saying: “We proceed to work with willpower to attain the targets of our revolution … We’re decided to finish the trail we began in 2011.”

The televised assertion additionally quoted him saying: “We won’t cease combating till all of the rights of the good Syrian individuals are secured. The longer term is ours and we’re shifting in the direction of victory.”

The whirlwind opposition advance on Sunday got here after 13 years of brutal conflict, which additionally put an finish to greater than half a century of the al-Assad household’s rule.

The Syrian conflict began as a largely unarmed rebellion in opposition to al-Assad in March 2011, however finally become an all-out conflict that dragged in overseas powers, killed tons of of 1000’s of individuals and turned thousands and thousands into refugees.

Russian and Iranian intervention appeared to sway the tide in the direction of al-Assad in 2015, however the HTS-led offensive that started final month took benefit of Russia’s give attention to its conflict on Ukraine, in addition to the weakening of Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah because of their battle with Israel.