In a significant move to present a united front, the Syrian factions that recently ousted President Bashar Assad have named an Islamist former rebel leader as the country's interim president. The appointment of Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, as Syria's president in the transitional phase was announced after a meeting of the former insurgent factions in Damascus.
Al-Sharaa, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group that led the offensive against Assad, has been emphasizing pluralism and tolerance in recent years. The United States had previously placed a bounty on him but canceled it after a meeting where he was described as pragmatic.
