In the days that have passed since the dramatic upheaval in neighboring Syria, it seems that matters surrounding the regime are becoming clearer, and that Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, known by his nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Julani, is acting according to an organized plan to stabilize the turbulent country and march it into the future.
Al-Julani is working hard to fill the transitional government, and on Saturday announced the appointment of a defense minister and a foreign minister in the government, along with the appointment of governors in the country's various provinces.
Murhaf Abu Qasra (Abu al-Hassan al-Hamawi), also known as Abu Hassan 600, appointed to be the defense minister, is a senior figure in the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) who led the battle that ousted Assad earlier this month.
According to reports in Syria, Abu Qasra is 41 years old and holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Damascus University. Despite his academic background, Abu Qasra entered the military field following the harsh war that Syria has endured over the past decade.
Over the years, Abu Qasra has played a central role in the organization, especially during the recent offensive that led to the occupation of Syria. Initially, he was responsible for managing operations in the organization, which included coordinating operations with various armed factions to ensure unified efforts against the previous regime.
The appointment of Murhaf Abu Qasra as defense minister in the interim government was announced on Saturday, in a meeting that included the new leader al-Julani and representatives of the armed factions. According to Julani, Abu Qasra has a series of immediate tasks ahead of him:
- Rebuilding the Syrian army: Efforts are being made to establish a military institution capable of protecting the country's borders and ensuring its stability.
- Merging all armed factions: Dismantling independent factions and merging them into an organized national army.
- Dealing with external threats: Dealing with Israeli attacks and regional interventions that threaten Syria's territorial integrity.
As'ad Hassan Al-Shaibani was appointed to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has a long track record of working in diplomatic institutions and international organizations, where he held many positions that enhanced his experience in the field of foreign relations.
According to reports in Syria, Assad Hassan al-Shaibani was born in the Hama governorate in 1975, where he received his basic education before moving to Damascus to complete his university studies. He later studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
He began his career as a diplomat at the Syrian Foreign Ministry, where he worked at a number of Syrian embassies abroad, including the embassies in Paris and Ankara.
Al-Shaibani joined the Syrian opposition in 2011. He participated in the establishment of the so-called Syrian opposition government, and established the Department of Political Affairs. As part of his role, he worked on the humanitarian side and established contacts with the United Nations and its agencies, and facilitated humanitarian work in northwest Syria.
* Kikar Hashabbat contributed to this article.
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