Tahrir al-Sham freezes Qahtani until further notice
Tahrir al-Sham, the largest terrorist faction in north-western Syria, announced the freezing of its prominent leader, Abu Maria al-Qahtani, due to a major security breach.
This raised a number of questions
about the fate of al-Qahtani and his relationship with Tahrir al-Sham, Abu
Mohamed al-Golani.
It also raised questions about the
possible impact on the future of the faction and the Syrian scene, in general.
Who is al-Qahtani
Abu Maria al-Qahtani is a Saudi
citizen, born in 1976. He travelled to Afghanistan in 1999 to join al-Qaeda.
Al-Qahtani participated in fighting against
coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was a confidant of the leader of
al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden.
In 2012, al-Qahtani moved to Syria to
join al-Nusra Front, affiliated with al-Qaeda, which later changed its name to
Tahrir al-Sham.
Al-Qahtani was one of the founders of
Tahrir al-Sham and a decision-maker in it.
He managed the file of its fight
against ISIS and participated in the expansion of Tahrir al-Sham towards the
countryside of Aleppo.
He was also very popular among the
elements and the people of Idlib.
Al-Qahtani is considered a cleric and
jurist. He used to issue fatwas and speeches, highlighting the role of Tahrir
al-Sham in protecting society.
Freeze
On August 17, 2023, Tahrir al-Sham issued
a short statement, in which it announced the freezing of the tasks and powers
of al-Qahtani.
It said following a major security
breach made by Sheikh al-Qahtani, who made a mistake in managing his
communications with external parties without permission or clarification of the
purpose of these communications, Tahrir al-Sham decided to freeze his duties
and powers until further notice.
The statement did not provide details
about the security breach or the identity of the external parties with which
al-Qahtani communicated.
However, some sources familiar with
Tahrir al-Sham said al-Qahtani was secretly negotiating with Turkish and
American parties to reach an agreement that guarantees the protection of Idlib
from Syrian regime and Russian attacks.
These negotiations angered al-Golani
and some leaders of Tahrir al-Sham, who saw in it a betrayal of the revolution
and its principles.
