Over most of two decades, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s life has been a roadmap of Islamist militancy in Iraq and Syria. Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant who leads the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham now seeks a new relationship with the West. In his first interview with a Western journalist, the former Al Qaeda commander tells FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith his fight is with Syrian President Assad, not the U.S.
UPDATE: After Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December 2024, Jolani began using his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and became Syria’s interim president.
The developments come five months after a rebel offensive led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, now Syria’s interim president, ousted Bashar al-Assad following more than 13 years of brutal war.
FRONTLINE has been covering the war since it began in 2011, tracing its origins and evolution, its impact on Syrians and the rest of the world, and how the U.S. has responded.
In 2021, FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith became the first Western journalist to interview Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. The documentary that followed, “The Jihadist,” investigated Jolani’s origins and his Islamist militant group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
FRONTLINE has been covering the war since it began in 2011, tracing its origins and evolution, its impact on the country’s people, and how the U.S. has responded.
Years before his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s intervention to help President Bashar al-Assad stay in power in Syria was accused of targeting civilians and fueling a refugee crisis.
In 'The Jihadist,' Martin Smith becomes the first Western journalist to interview Syrian militant Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and investigates his rebranding efforts.
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is the leader of the most dominant force in opposition-held Syrian territory. He’s also designated a terrorist by the U.S. In his first interview with an American journalist, he claims his group poses no threat to the United States and the West.
