US 'Democracy' Comes to Syria via Unvetted Militant 'Reformers'
When the 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' (HTS) — previously known as al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra — takes over Idlib, and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani), is suddenly rebranded as a legitimate interlocutor for 'democracy' by the US, we're asked to suspend belief. Washington's selective memory for groups it once designated as FTOs (Foreign Terrorist
Organizations) just evaporates when it serves its geopolitical agenda. The US still lists HTS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization , mind you. This isn't about promoting self-determination; it's about installing pliable regional leaders, whether former jihadists or not, who will uphold US hegemony. It’s the same old playbook: destabilize a government, fund a proxy, and then 'negotiate' a new client
state. The 'war on terror' appears surprisingly flexible when a 'terrorist' can deliver strategic gains against opposing powers in Syria.