Files seen by TML verify that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa invested 6 years in a United States jail in Iraq under an alias– an explosive discovery dripped simply weeks before his very first local look as Syria’s leader
[Damascus] Less than a day after the Iraqi prime minister’s public statement on Wednesday that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa would participate in the upcoming Arab League top in Baghdad, social networks in Iraq illuminated with a surprising wave of dripped files and images. The products, which The Media Line has actually individually confirmed, expose an obscure chapter of al-Sharaa’s life: his six-year detention in Iraq in between 2005 and 2011, under an incorrect identity.
According to the files gotten by The Media Line, al-Sharaa was apprehended on Might 14, 2005, by United States forces running in Iraq. He was apprehended under the alias Amjad Muzafar Hussein Al-Nuaimi and kept in the Taji reformatory, north of Baghdad. The arrest was performed under a warrant released by Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council.
Using a phony identity enabled al-Sharaa to avert acknowledgment for several years. Fluent in the Mosul dialect of Arabic and geared up with a created Iraqi ID, he handled to persuade United States evaluation groups– frequently accompanied by Iraqi specialists– that he was a regional civilian.
This was a guy who might vanish into any crowd. His capability to mix in conserved his life– and formed his future.
” This was a guy who might vanish into any crowd,” Fadel Abu Ragheef, an Iraqi security expert who evaluated the files, informed The Media Line. “His capability to mix in conserved his life– and formed his future.”
What does the leakage indicate?
The files were launched simply weeks ahead of the Arab League top, set for Might 17 in Baghdad, where al-Sharaa is anticipated to make a prominent look– his very first as Syria’s transitional president following the fall of the Assad routine.
It’s uncertain who dripped the files that exposed these components of al-Sharaa’s past. Iran is a most likely suspect, provided its opposition to al-Sharaa’s growing impact and its interest in hindering any political rehab efforts. Iran likewise maintains considerable intelligence impact within Iraq.
Additionally, the leakage might have originated from within Iraq itself, potentially from factions opposed to engaging with al-Sharaa or looking for to check public and political responses.
The leakage has actually had a visible effect: it weakens al-Sharaa’s reliability, complicates his external relations, and harms his public image amongst his assistance base in Idlib. It likewise compromises al-Sharaa’s political positioning at a time when he is attempting to present himself as a genuine political star.
What’s been exposed about al-Sharaa’s past?
Al-Sharaa showed up in Iraq in 2003, quickly after the US-led intrusion. Still in his early twenties, he signed up with the Saraya Al-Mujahideen armed group, which was formed to withstand American forces. Sources from that time explain him as disciplined, scheduled, and deeply devoted to the cause.
His time with the group was interrupted by his arrest 2 years later on. However even behind bars, it appears al-Sharaa stayed dedicated to a bigger objective. A group image consisted of in the files reveals him amongst a lineup of detainees in 2011– simply days before his release on March 13 of that year.
2 days later on, the Syrian uprising started.
With the Syrian transformation appearing, al-Sharaa rapidly crossed back into Syria. There, he aligned himself with a variety of jihadist factions, consisting of al-Qaida and later on the Islamic State group. However his alliances were brief. By 2016, al-Sharaa– already commonly understood by his nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Golani– had actually severed ties with both groups.
In a commonly transmitted 2016 video, he stood for the very first time in public using a conventional Arab cape. Calm and articulate, he revealed the development of a brand-new faction and the official break with al-Qaida.
His track record started to move. From underground militant to local powerbroker, al-Sharaa had actually ended up being the de facto leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant force in Idlib province– Syria’s last significant opposition fortress.
Homeowners of Idlib who understood al-Sharaa before his increase to power explained a significant change. Hassan, a boy from the city of Kafr Nabl, remembered when the guy referred to as Al-Golani very first shown up in the area.
” He was peaceful, friendly,” Hassan informed The Media Line. “I would see him going out to the cutting edge to eliminate Assad’s forces. He ‘d smile at everybody, never ever raised his voice.”
After a while, Hassan stated, al-Sharaa was constantly seen “surrounded by guards and fighters.” “That’s when we recognized he wasn’t simply another fighter any longer– he was somebody crucial,” he stated.
Expert Abdulrahman Al-Nasser informed The Media Line that al-Sharaa’s management marked a turning point in the fragmented Syrian opposition. Under his command, HTS combined power in Idlib, developing a primary federal government and putting in control over regional security, media, and even courts.
Al-Sharaa gained from every stage of his journey. From insurgent to detainee, from jihadist to nationalist figure– he’s an operator, a survivor.
” Al-Sharaa gained from every stage of his journey,” a local security specialist informed The Media Line. “From insurgent to detainee, from jihadist to nationalist figure– he’s an operator, a survivor.”
The greatest shock came simply months back, on December 8, 2024, when opposition forces stormed Damascus. After years of combating, the Syrian capital fell, with federal government forces withdrawing from public structures and streets. The period of Baathist guideline– 61 years under the celebration, and 53 under the Assad household– had actually pertained to an abrupt end.
On January 29, 2025, Syria’s brand-new transitional federal government revealed a wave of landmark choices: the dissolution of the Arab Socialist Baath celebration, the suspension of the Assad-era 2012 constitution, and the abolition of the previous routine’s rubber-stamp parliament.
At the center of all of it was Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The guy as soon as put behind bars under a phony name was called Syria’s interim president, with a required to manage the shift towards a brand-new political order.
What’s next for al-Sharaa?
While al-Sharaa’s story resonates with numerous Syrians who opposed Assad, it likewise raises concerns about the nature of management in post-conflict Syria. Some activists have actually revealed issue about his militant past and the impact of HTS in the brand-new federal government– although HTS was formally liquified in January 2025 with the stated intent to be integrated into the Syrian state.
” He is not a standard political leader,” a Western diplomat knowledgeable about Syria’s shift talks informed The Media Line of al-Sharaa, speaking under condition of privacy. “His authenticity originates from the battleground, not the tally box. That might make complex efforts to develop inclusive organizations.”
Still, others see al-Sharaa’s journey– from the shadows of Iraq’s jails to the spotlight of local diplomacy– as symbolic of Syria’s bigger battle for identity, sovereignty, and survival.
Whether you support him or not, you can not overlook the arc of his story. He embodies the mayhem, the strength, and the reinvention that specify this minute in Syria.
” Whether you support him or not, you can not overlook the arc of his story,” a political expert in Beirut informed The Media Line. “He embodies the mayhem, the strength, and the reinvention that specify this minute in Syria.”
As the Arab League top methods, all eyes will be on al-Sharaa– the guy whose past was as soon as concealed in the boundaries of a jail cell, now seated at the table of Arab management.