'I was invited by British NGO to help extract [Al-Sharaa] from world of terrorism and prepare him for a political role'

Former US Syria Ambassador Ford describes role in reshaping ex-AlQaeda (ISIS) chief into Syria's now-president

'He never apologized once for attacks in Iraq and Syria'

Here's the AI Overview about this: 

• Robert Ford's Role: Ford served as the US Ambassador to Syria from 2011 to 2014. He discussed his involvement in a British-led initiative to "rebrand" al-Jolani and bring him "from terrorism to politics" in a recent lecture.
• Meeting Al-Jolani: In 2023, Ford met with al-Jolani in Idlib, Syria, after being invited by a UK-based group. Ford admitted initial hesitation due to al-Jolani's past as a designated terrorist and leader of al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, Jabhat al-Nusra (now HTS).
• Al-Jolani's Past: The US designated al-Jolani, whose real name is Ahmad al-Sharaa, as a terrorist and offered a $10 million reward for his capture. He formerly led Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, and now leads HTS.
• Controversy: Ford's remarks regarding his role in attempting to rehabilitate al-Jolani have sparked controversy. Some have accused Ford of involvement in training al-Jolani. Claims that the translation of Ford's remarks was inaccurate have been disputed. There is widespread debate online regarding Ford's comments, according to وكالة هاوار للأنباء. The Syrian government has also denied Ford's claims.
• Ford's Perspective: During the lecture, Ford shared a personal anecdote about his meeting with al-Jolani. He stated, "Never in a million years could I imagine I'd be sitting next to you," to which al-Jolani replied, "Me neither". Ford noted that al-Jolani never apologized for past attacks in Iraq and Syria. However, he also mentioned that al-Jolani acknowledged that the tactics he used in Iraq were not suitable for governing a civilian population of four million people. 
• FULL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKBFKcKZ8UU                                   Full video is called, 'Syrian Rebels Win - Now What?, from Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs. - From May 1, 2025, uploaded May 12, 2025
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