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Syria Live: Rebels in palaces and prisons emptied as Russia says Assad has left Syria
What’s happened so far
- *Syria rebels claim Damascus
- *Ends Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year authoritarian rule
- *Army officers and Russia say Assad fled the capital
- *Thousands celebrate “Freedom” in Damascus
- *PM says ready to cooperate with any leadership
- *Biden, Trump and UN – how the world reacted
- *Here’s a wrapup of Sunday’s fast-moving events
Who are Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels, led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was al Qaeda’s franchise in the Syrian civil war.
Its commander is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a previously shadowy figure who kept out of the public eye, even when his group became the most powerful faction fighting President Bashar al-Assad.
Today, he is Syria’s most recognisable insurgent, having gradually stepped into the limelight since severing ties to al Qaeda in 2016.
He rebranded his group and now emerging as a potential de facto ruler of Syria.
The transformation has been showcased since rebels led by Golani’s HTS, formerly known as the Nusra Front, captured Aleppo just over a week ago.
Golani featured prominently, sending messages and videos aimed at reassuring Syrian minorities who have long feared the jihadists.
“The future is ours,” he said in a statement read on Syria’s state TV, urging his fighters not to harm those who drop arms.
PR EFFORT?
“Golani has been smarter than Assad. He’s retooled, he’s refashioned, made new allies, and come out with his charm offensive” towards minorities, said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and head of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Aron Lund, a fellow at think-tank Century International, said Golani and HTS had clearly changed though still remaining “pretty hardline.”
“It’s PR, but the fact they are engaging in this effort at all shows they are no longer as rigid as they once were. Old-school al Qaeda or the Islamic State would never have done that,” he said.
DESIGNATED AS A TERRORIST BY US IN 2013
Before founding the Nusra Front, Golani had fought for al Qaeda in Iraq, where he spent five years in a U.S. prison.
He returned to Syria once the uprising began, sent by the leader of the Islamic State group in Iraq at the time – Abu Omar al-Baghdadi – to build up al Qaeda’s presence.
The United States designated Golani a terrorist in 2013, saying that al Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad’s rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria.
Turkey, the Syrian opposition’s main foreign backer, has also designated HTS as a terrorist group, while supporting some of the other factions that fight in the northwest.
RAPID EXPANSION
Golani gave his first media interview in 2013, his face wrapped in a dark scarf and showing only his back to the camera. Speaking to Al Jazeera, he called for Syria to be run according to sharia law.
Some eight years later, he sat down for an interview with the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service’s FRONTLINE programme, facing the camera and wearing a shirt and jacket.
Golani said the terrorist designation was unfair and that he opposed the killing of innocent people.
He detailed how the Nusra Front had expanded from the six men who accompanied him from Iraq to 5,000 within a year.
But he said that his group had never presented a threat to the West. “I repeat – our involvement with al Qaeda has ended, and even when we were with al Qaeda we were against carrying out operations outside of Syria, and it’s completely against our policy to carry out external action.”
MESSAGES TO MINORITIES
Golani fought a bloody war against his old ally Baghdadi after Islamic State sought to unilaterally subsume the Nusra Front in 2013. Despite its al Qaeda ties, Nusra was regarded as more tolerant and less heavy handed in dealings with civilians and other rebel groups compared to Islamic State.
Islamic State was subsequently beaten out of territory it held in both Syria and Iraq by an array of adversaries including a U.S.-led military alliance.
With the Sunni Muslim rebels now in control, the HTS administration has issued statements seeking to assure the Shi’ite Alawites and other Syrian minorities.
Lund said HTS had displayed “logistical and governance capacity” by ruling its own territory in Idlib for years.
“They have adopted the symbols of the wider Syrian uprising… which they now use and try to claim the revolutionary legacy – that ‘we are part of the movement of 2011, the people who rose up against Assad, and we are also Islamists’.”
-Reuters
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) may have issues making up the numbers in the final competition of the African Nations Championship holding in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from February 1 to 25, 2025.
Tunisia, one of the already qualified teams from the North African zone has pulled out.
According to information gathered this Thursday, Tunisia pulled out owing to the country’s busy schedule.
The decision was taken this Thursday, November 28, following the meeting between the FTF normalization committee, the Tunisian Football Federation, and club representatives.
Algeria, Libya and Egypt had previously withdrawn. Morocco will be featuring their Under-23 squad.This edition of the African Nations Championship is planned as a dress rehearsal for the trio of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya – the three countries designated as joint hosts of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Manchester United had to settle for a 1-1 draw at lowly Ipswich Town in Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim’s first match in charge as Marcus Rashford’s early goal was cancelled out by a deflected strike from Omari Hutchinson in the Premier League on Sunday.
There was an electric atmosphere at Portman Road but United silenced the home fans as they took the lead after 81 seconds through Rashford who stole in between two defenders to steer the ball home after a brilliant run down the right by Amad.
United keeper Andre Onana made a brilliant one-handed save to deny Liam Delap as halftime loomed but Ipswich equalised in the 43rd minute as Hutchinson curled a shot into the top corner helped by a deflection off visiting defender Noussair Mazraoui.
After the break Ipswich striker Sam Szmodics almost scored with a back-heel that Onana saved with his feet but neither side could find a winner. The result leaves United in 12th place with 16 points, six off the top four. Ipswich are 18th with nine.
“They are very good players but we have to improve physically, technically and tactically and we need time to do that,” Amorim said as the enormity of the task facing him at United was on show again in a lacklustre performance.
“It’s hard to expect anything now. It’s not a surprise but you have to see it … That’s why I was a little bit anxious because you can’t understand what will happen (until you’re) in the game,” the Portuguese coach told a press conference.
“They were trying but they were thinking too much in the game. That is normal. But we should have had more possession of the ball and kept more of the ball,” he added.
Jonny Evans, Christian Eriksen and Alejandro Garnacho were back in the starting lineup as 39-year-old Amorim made three changes from the win over Leicester City in their final match under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy two weeks ago.
Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman was sacked and the United fans were keen to find out how he would change the lineup as the former Sporting coach tries to bring success to the Old Trafford club after years of under-achievement.
UNITED HUDDLE
United’s players formed a huddle before kickoff and then started in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mazraoui in a back three alongside Matthijs de Ligt and Evans.
It was United’s first league visit to Ipswich in 22 years – with Van Nistelrooy scoring the only goal that day – but the hosts were stunned as the visitors went ahead through Rashford.
Amorim did not raise a smile after the goal knowing there was a long way to go and a lot more work to be done but the United fans were already singing the Portuguese coach’s name.
Ipswich traded blows with United as they tried to get back on level terms and after Eriksen sent a low shot wide Szmodics fired over for the home side. Garnacho also saw a low effort fly past the post before Hutchinson’s shot was blocked.
Then five minutes before the break Onana made a brilliant stop to deny Delap from point-blank range after fine work down the left by Leif Davis who laid the ball across the box.
It did not take long for Ipswich to equalise however and this time there was nothing even Onana could do to keep out Hutchinson’s deflected curler that found the top corner to delight singer Ed Sheeran and the rest of the home fans.
Ipswich striker Szmodics almost put the hosts in front with his clever back-heel from close range seven minutes into the second half as the Blues sensed they could take three points.
The closest United came after that though was a Fernandes free kick that sailed wide and it was Ipswich who almost fashioned a winner but Conor Chaplin’s sidefoot was straight at Onana after a cross by fellow substitute Jack Clarke.
A draw was about the right result in the end after United’s fast start. It is 11 years since they won the Premier League under Alex Ferguson and after this latest low key performance Amorim has plenty of work to do to make them challengers again.
-Reuters
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MFM Women Basketball Club at Mountain top after comprehensive defeat of hosts Liberian club
The mountains in Monrovia, Liberia are set on fire by Mountain of Fire and Miracle Women Basketball Club who comprehensively beat hosts, Invisible Eleven by 112-42 points in one of the opening matches of FIBA Africa Women Basketball League Zone 3 Qualifiers on Tuesday.
The General Overseer of the Christian church that owns the club, Dr Daniel Olukoya promptly sent a congratulatory message even as the team prepares for another duel this Wednesday against champions of Cote d’Ivoire, Friends Basketball Association (FBA) of Cocody.
“Thank you for flying the Nigerian flag so proudly in Liberia with your big win. The MFM family expects more from you as always. We will continue to support you to reach your potential and be the best at what you do.”
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