Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, controls much of Syria’s Idlib Province. The group is, realistically, Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate in everything but name, and keeps trying to present itself as a more palatable partner for the west.
This was al-Qaeda’s idea, originally. When the ceasefire in Idlib was being negotiated, HTS held a lot of the territory, and al-Qaeda was very public about the need for the Syrian faction to appear to be independent.
This was done with an eye toward getting them support in the war, and now the plan is to play government in Idlib. HTS is planning local elections, and making their morality police much less visible.
With the war slowing down, HTS wants to give the appearance of a valuable alternative to Assad. As al-Qaeda’s affiliate, only Turkey was really willing to accept that. As al-Qaeda’s affiliate with a lot of window-dressing, they may well have more interested parties.
The original article in WAPO displays impressive mental gymnastics to present Al Qaeda as an acceptable alternative to the Syrian government. WAPO simultaneously admits the “former Al Qaeda affiliates” are islamist militants/terrorists, while demonizing the secular Syrian government. Buying those arguments requires a brain that is not capable of any critical thinking, none whatsoever. Such a brain is truly a CIA masterpiece.
“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.” – William J. Casey, CIA Director.