{"id":2434,"date":"2024-12-17T18:52:45","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T18:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/?p=2434"},"modified":"2024-12-17T22:04:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T22:04:28","slug":"al-joulani-unveils-his-vision-for-post-assad-syria-demobilizing-the-army-naturalizing-foreign-fighters-and-major-reconstruction-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/al-joulani-unveils-his-vision-for-post-assad-syria-demobilizing-the-army-naturalizing-foreign-fighters-and-major-reconstruction-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Al-Joulani Unveils His Vision for Post-Assad Syria: Demobilizing the Army, Naturalizing Foreign Fighters, and Major Reconstruction Challenges&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an interview with Ahmed Al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed Al-Joulani, the head of military operations in Syria and a prominent figure in the Syrian opposition, intriguing insights into Syria\u2019s future after Bashar Al-Assad&#8217;s regime emerged.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Al-Joulani stated that discussing the political system at this stage is premature, noting that specialized committees are working on drafting a new constitution and defining the final form of governance. However, these remarks raise many questions about Syria\u2019s future and how to rebuild the state after a prolonged conflict.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Next Stage in Syria: Priorities and Challenges<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Al-Joulani outlined his priorities for the post-Assad phase, emphasizing the importance of rebuilding a devastated Syria and providing basic needs such as energy, fuel, and communications. These priorities, however, raise pressing questions:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Can such reforms be achieved amid immense economic and political challenges?<\/li>\n<li>How can a long and complex transitional period be managed, especially given deep societal divisions?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Demobilizing the Army: A Step Towards Military Reorganization?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding the Syrian army, Al-Joulani announced the dismissal of conscripts from the former army, relying instead on Idlib forces (Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham) and new volunteers. This step raises several concerns:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Can these forces ensure stability and security in a complex regional and international environment?<\/li>\n<li>Is it feasible to rebuild a new army based on voluntary recruitment while restoring national trust?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Naturalizing Foreign Fighters: A Path to Reconciliation or a Risk?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Al-Joulani hinted at the possibility of granting Syrian citizenship to foreign fighters who participated in the revolution. While he sees this as a reward for their support, the proposal is contentious:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>How can these fighters be integrated into Syrian society without causing internal tensions?<\/li>\n<li>Will Syrian citizens accept this decision, or will it deepen societal divisions?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Challenges of Reconstruction<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Al-Joulani highlighted the scale of destruction caused by the Assad regime, describing Syria as \u201cdestroyed.\u201d Yet:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Can a ruined state be rebuilt in the short term?<\/li>\n<li>Will international support be sufficient to overcome decades of corruption and authoritarianism?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Transitional Justice: How Feasible Is It?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although transitional justice is emphasized, Al-Joulani insisted on holding those responsible for violations, including torture and executions, accountable. However:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li>Can justice be achieved without political and security stability?<\/li>\n<li>How can national accountability be balanced with community reconciliation?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite Al-Joulani\u2019s optimism about building a new Syria, the reality on the ground remains fraught with challenges:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Can groups like Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham effectively govern the country?<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Will the international community recognize this new political authority?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The answers to these questions will shape Syria\u2019s future and its ability to build a new state after decades under Assad\u2019s rule.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In an interview with Ahmed Al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed Al-Joulani, the head of military operations in Syria and a prominent figure in the Syrian opposition, intriguing insights into Syria\u2019s future after Bashar Al-Assad&#8217;s regime emerged. Al-Joulani stated that discussing the political system at this stage is premature, noting that specialized committees are working on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2434","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-middle-east","8":"category-the-maghreb"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2434"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2436,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2434\/revisions\/2436"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}