In Brief: How An Ex-al Qaeda Fighter Became the Leader of Syria

In this episode of One Decision In Brief, hosts Christina Ruffini and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of Britain's MI6, take a deep look at the surprising rise of Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, from extremist militant and former Abu Ghraib prisoner to the new president of Syria after the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The discussion examines the collapse of the Assad regime and Ahmed Al-Shura’s rise to power. The conversation also sheds light on the international intelligence behind the scenes of al-Shura's rise, including Israel’s military aid, the U.K.'s involvement, and what the U.S. actually knew as the events started to unfold. Finally, they examine the difficulty of running a country like Syria and whether al-Shura can survive the political, ethnic, and religious tightrope he now walks.