As Syrians celebrate the demise of a tyrant, there may not be an obvious successor to take over
CBC
Among the many moments of celebration across Syria on Sunday, the scene at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus may be remembered as one of the most significant.
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who led his opposition forces out of Idlib province and in just 11 days dealt the fatal blows that drove President Bashar al-Assad from office, stood in front of a cheering audience.
"This will be a new victory for the entire Islamic nation, this will be a new historic victory for the region," al-Golani said as those in the crowd pumped their fists.
But precisely what al-Golani, 42, a one-time adherent to al-Qaeda whose group remains listed as a terrorist entity by many Western nations, has in mind for Syria — and whether he can retain control of the dynamic situation — are among the many unknowns now confronting Syrians.
Assad and his father before him ruled the country for more than 50 years, killing or imprisoning anyone who challenged the family dynasty.
Humanitarian groups say Assad's forces murdered more than 300,000 opponents and imprisoned countless thousands more in the aftermath of the Arab Spring protests of 2011.
Even in cities such as Latakia, which remained loyal to Assad, there were celebrations, suggesting there is widespread relief that he is finally gone. But what kind of government or leader he should be replaced with was always going to be contentious.
Al-Golani's remarkable success at spearheading the military take-out of Assad's Syrian Arab Army now puts him at the forefront of the people being talked about as a possible successor.
"I think it's a new era," said Fawaz Gerges, a Middle East analyst at the London School of Economics.
"Syria could go two ways. It could descend sadly and tragically into all-out social, political and ethnic violence or could basically begin the process of social healing."
Whether al-Golani is positioning himself to be that healer remains to be seen, but already he's shown himself to be adept at the kind of public relations the job would require.
In the hours after HTS seized Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, he reportedly issued orders that there were to be no recriminations against supporters of Assad, nor should minorities feel threatened.
In an interview with CNN, he wore a plain green military uniform devoid of any overt religious symbols, and said his only goal was to rid the country of Assad.
A social media post by HTS even referred to him by his given name, Ahmad Al-Shar'a, rather than by his nom de guerre.
