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Diamond Member

By Raja Abdulrahim
Raja Abdulrahim reports on the Middle East and is based in Jerusalem.
Dec. 6, 2024Updated 5:20 p.m. ET
Syrian rebels have swept through major cities and captured territory across four provinces in a dramatic new offensive, and the Islamist leader heading the charge says their aim is nothing short of ousting President Bashar al-Assad.

Leader of Syria’s Resurgent Rebels Lays Out Strategy to Oust Assad
In an interview, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the Islamist rebel heading an offensive moving toward Damascus, said the operation was a long time coming.
After attracting little notice for years, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and the rebels he leads shocked the world by launching the most significant challenge to Mr. al-Assad’s rule in a decade. He told The New York Times in an interview this week that he was confident the rebels would score more victories against weakened and demoralized government forces.
“Our goal is to liberate Syria from this oppressive regime,” he said in an hourlong video interview from an unknown location.