NEW YORK (Dispatches) -- Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, the former Al-Qaeda and Daesh commander and current de facto ruler of Damascus under Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), made a rare appearance on the world stage at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. 
His presence marks a significant moment, as HTS remains officially affiliated with extremist groups Al-Qaeda and Daesh, yet has recently seen a surprising shift in relations with Western powers, including the United States.
Al-Jolani’s rise to power followed years of insurgency and militant activity. After leading Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, and later merging with other factions to form HTS, he solidified control over large parts of northwestern Syria, including Damascus. 
HTS is designated a terrorist organization by much of the international community. Yet, in a controversial move, the U.S. government lifted its bounty on al-Jolani in late 2024 and has softened its stance, reflecting a broader realignment of Western strategy in the region.
This unexpected embrace of al-Jolani and HTS aligns with a widely held belief among analysts that Western intelligence agencies, including those of the United States, played a key role in the creation and support of takfiri extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh. 
These groups were initially cultivated to destabilize the region and further geopolitical ambitions in West Asia. Now, the same intelligence networks appear to be repeating this approach through al-Jolani and HTS, using them as instruments in ongoing efforts to reshape regional power balances.
During the Concordia Annual Summit, held alongside the General Assembly, al-Jolani was interviewed alongside retired U.S. General David Petraeus, a former CIA director who once oversaw the detention of al-Jolani when he was a militant opponent during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. 
Petraeus acknowledged the “dramatic transformation” of al-Jolani’s role from insurgent to political leader, despite the ongoing controversies surrounding HTS.
Al-Jolani framed his militant past as a fight for a “noble cause” and emphasized his commitment to defending Syria from chaos and external threats. 
He highlighted ongoing security talks with Israel, based on a 1974 disengagement agreement, aimed at preventing further conflict despite over a thousand Israeli airstrikes since the fall of the Assad government.
He also urged the U.S. to lift sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civil Protection Act and called for protection of minorities, including Kurds, within a unified Syrian state—while insisting that only government forces should bear arms.
Al-Jolani’s appearance and the U.S. overtures toward HTS underscore a complex and controversial recalibration of Western policy in Syria, reflecting deeper geopolitical strategies rooted in past interventions and ongoing ambitions in the region.