Who is Abu Mohammed al-Julani?

In 2016, al-Julani made a strategic decision to distance the al-Nusra Front from al-Qaeda, rebranding the group as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. This shift was partly motivated by a desire to appeal to a broader base of support within Syria and to mitigate the negative perceptions of foreign jihadists. By presenting HTS as a more local and nationalist entity, al-Julani sought to attract Syrian fighters and civilians who might have been wary of foreign jihadist affiliations. This rebranding also aimed to secure financial support and bolster recruitment efforts.