Who is HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani?

Born Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in 1982 in Saudi Arabia, Jolani joined al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2003 to resist the U.S. invasion. He was later detained in U.S. prisons before returning to Syria in 2011, where he led Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria. In 2017, Jolani rebranded the group as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), distancing it from global jihad and focusing on Syrian territorial control. HTS now governs Idlib, but its rule has sparked controversy, with accusations of torture, economic exploitation, and authoritarianism. Jolani's recent announcements suggest plans for a governance model distinct from extremist ideologies. However, questions remain about his leadership and the direction HTS will take as it consolidates power in Syria.