Opposition chief gets selected as Premier in Syria

(MENAFN) Opposition leader Mohammed al-Bashir announced on Tuesday that he will serve as Syria’s caretaker prime minister until March. Al-Bashir, who has been leading a shadow government of the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) since January, was appointed following discussions between HTS leader Mohammed al-Jolani and members of the ousted Assad administration.

In his televised address, al-Bashir confirmed his appointment two days after opposition forces, including HTS jihadists and US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants, stormed Damascus. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left the country shortly afterward, seeking asylum in Russia.

Al-Jolani, the former Al-Qaeda commander and leader of HTS since its founding in 2017, held talks with the outgoing Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali on Monday. Al-Jalali, once an ally of Assad, agreed to transfer power to al-Jolani’s Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in a smooth transition. The SSG, based in the jihadist stronghold of Idlib, has operated as a quasi-state in Syria since 2017. Al-Bashir, an engineer, has been leading the SSG under al-Jolani’s guidance since January.

HTS is classified as a terrorist group by most nations, including Turkey, though Ankara has been accused of providing support to HTS and its predecessor, Jabhat al-Nusra. As HTS fighters advanced on Damascus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for their campaign, hoping for a "disaster-free" continuation of their progress.

Moscow and Tehran have expressed their intent to maintain contact with Syria's new leadership while urging HTS and its allies to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian Civil War, free elections, and a new constitution.

The US and UK have signaled they may reconsider HTS’s terrorist designation. Despite considering HTS a terrorist organization, the US has been accused of arming its predecessor, Jabhat al-Nusra, and has been accused of using al-Jolani as a strategic asset in Syria.

Al-Jolani has vowed to protect the rights of Syria's religious minorities but has also warned of retribution against those who were involved in atrocities during Assad’s regime. He promised rewards for anyone who helps apprehend former security officials of Assad’s government.

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