The 'New Syria': Same Old Jihad Why the US Should Not Trust Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa

The 'New Syria': Same Old Jihad Why the US Should Not Trust Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa (or Iran's Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf)

Khaled Abu Toameh

• Recent footage from Aleppo and other parts of Syria should serve as a wake-up call to anyone in Washington and European capitals still clinging to the illusion of a "moderate" new Syria under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

• It is crucial to understand what the anti-Israel demonstrations mean. Soldiers and tens of thousands of people do not chant such slogans unless these ideas are supported, if not encouraged, by their leaders.

• That such rhetoric and massacres openly take place within formal military units as well as among many Syrians indicates that extremist thinking remains deeply embedded in the system al-Sharaa leads.

• There is a recurring pattern in Western policy toward the Middle East: the tendency to mistake tactical shifts for genuine ideological transformation. Leaders rebrand themselves, adopt more polished rhetoric and wardrobe, and present a moderate face to the outside world, while the underlying worldview remains unchanged.

• At a minimum, al-Sharaa needs to demonstrate a clear commitment to restraining extremist elements inside Syria and ending incitement against Israel. Until then, the talk about a "moderate" Syria -- or, for that matter, a "new, moderate" Iran under Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf -- is premature at best and dangerous at worst.

• The scenes from Syria -- and the current intransigence from both Iran and Hamas -- are not aberrations. They are a glimpse into the true nature of the forces now shaping the future of Syria, Gaza and Iran -- a future the Trump Administration and the West need to view with skeptical open eyes, not illusions.

  
  

  Recent footage from Aleppo and other parts of Syria should serve as a wake-up call to anyone in Washington and European capitals still clinging to the illusion of a "moderate" new Syria under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

  In the video, soldiers from Brigade 60, a unit affiliated with the Syrian Army, are seen chanting slogans that openly threaten Israel: "O my enemy [Israel], I'm coming after you!"

  The message is neither subtle nor ambiguous: the struggle of the soldiers does not end inside Syria's borders. It extends to Israel and, by implication, to its allies, especially the US.

  This is not the language of moderation. It is the language of jihad (holy war).

  For months, some Western officials, including US President Donald J. Trump, have expressed optimism about Syria's new leadership under al-Sharaa. Last year, Trump described al-Sharaa as an "attractive, tough guy."

  The argument goes that Syria has entered a new phase, that its leadership has evolved, become more pragmatic, and is ready to engage constructively with the international community.

  Such assessments, however, are dangerously detached from reality. They ignore a central, deeply troubling fact: al-Sharaa's past is not merely controversial. It is steeped in jihadist militancy.

  Before attempting to rebrand himself as a statesman, al-Sharaa was known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the longtime leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda's branch in Syria. Under his leadership, the group pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and played a central role in Syria's jihadist insurgency.

  Al-Sharaa's network later evolved into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a dominant force in parts of Syria that has continued to espouse Islamist governance and maintain authoritarian control. While as president of Syria, al-Sharaa has sought to present a more pragmatic face to the outside world, his regime's roots remain firmly anchored in jihadist ideology. Rebranding is not the same as reform.

  Against this backdrop, the chants from Brigade 60 are not surprising. They are consistent with the ideological environment that figures like al-Sharaa cultivate over many years.

  The chants of the Syrian soldiers are not an isolated incident. Instead, they reflect a deeper ideological current running through Syria and other Arab and Islamic countries. This is an ideology that glorifies confrontation with Israel, romanticizes armed struggle, and frames regional conflicts through a jihadist lens.

  Recently, several demonstrations took place across parts of Syria in which participants voiced support for Hamas, called for jihad, and threatened Israel.

  "Millions of martyrs are marching to Jerusalem," chanted the spokesman for the Syrian Ministry of Interior, Nour al-Dina al-Baba, who led one of the anti-Israel demonstrations.

  These rallies, whether spontaneous or tolerated, offer further evidence that the ideological climate inside "new Syria" remains deeply hostile, radicalized, and shaped by Islamist narratives: the use of Islam to justify intolerant, extremist governance; military conflict; glorification of jihad as armed struggle -- not just "spiritual striving" or promoting the idea that Muslims must unite against perceived enemies such as Israel and the West -- and the legitimization of terror groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis, including proxies led by Iran's regime.

  
  

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