Former Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab is set to head the country's transitional government, according to a report by the French newspaper Le Figaro, citing informed sources.
Hijab, who served as prime minister from June to August 2012, is expected to lead the transitional cabinet. The report highlights that this move would allow the United States to avoid engaging with Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of the armed opposition.
Al-Sharaa leads "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham," a coalition of Syrian Islamist groups formed from the extremist organization "Jabhat al-Nusra" (both of which are designated as terrorist organizations in Russia). His group recently seized power in Damascus.
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Photo: Kuhlmann/MSC/Creative Commons 3.0
Based on materials from TASS