On Tuesday, media outlets were abuzz with statements from former U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, revealing a secret Western role in preparing Syria’s current president, Ahmad Al-sharaa—formerly known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani—for leadership.

During a lengthy discussion lasting over an hour at the Baltimore Foreign Affairs Institute, Ford—an expert on Islamist groups in the Middle East —disclosed that British intelligence agencies had requested his assistance in transitioning Julani from extremism to a more moderate path as part of a plan to integrate him into political leadership.

Ford indicated that the project began in 2023 and that Julani agreed to cooperate in exchange for being granted a role in leading Syria’s transitional phase.