US Drops $10M Bounty on ‘Terrorist’ Turned ‘Syrian Rebel Leader’ Jolani

But you can still read the FBI's 2017 press release about how he ‘established ANF’...

The US government just dropped its longstanding reward of “up to $10 million” for “information leading to the identification or location of” Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.

The move comes after Jolani “shared ‘positive messages’ about fighting terrorism during talks with [the] leading US diplomat” for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, according to The Telegraph.

As of right now the page originally announcing the bounty is still up on the FBI's website — and archived here and here — for anyone who wants to read and/or save it.

In the 2017 press release, the FBI calls him “Muhammad al-Jawlani,” but notes that he's “also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, and Abu Muhammad al-Golani.”

They say that he “established ANF” (“the al Nusrah Front”), “a foreign terrorist organization,” in 2011.

“In May 2013, al-Jawlani was named a specially designated global terrorist, by the U.S. State Department... prohibiting U.S. persons from dealing with him...”

“On July 24, 2013, the UN Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and al Qaeda Sanctions Committee placed al-Jawlani on its list of sanctioned terrorists, making him subject to an international asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo...”

“Individuals with information regarding ANF leadership, to include al-Jawlani, are asked to contact the FBI or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate... [or] submit a tip on the FBI’s website...”

For much more background, see Alan MacLeod’s piece, “From ‘Terrorist’ to ‘Freedom Fighter’: How the West Rebranded Al-Qaeda’s Jolani as Syria’s ‘Woke’ New Leader” — published just 8 days ago.

It begins:

Corporate media is heralding the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the emergence of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani as the new leader of Syria, despite his deep ties to both al-Qaeda and ISIS.

“How Syria’s ‘diversity-friendly’ jihadists plan on building a state,” runs the headline from an article in Britain’s Daily Telegraph that suggests that Jolani will construct a new Syria, respectful of minority rights. The same newspaper also labeled him a “moderate Jihadist.” The Washington Post described him as a pragmatic and charismatic leader, while CNN portrayed him as a “blazer-wearing revolutionary.”

Meanwhile, an in-depth portrait from Rolling Stone describes him as a “ruthlessly pragmatic, astute politician who has renounced ‘global jihad’” and intends to “unite Syria.” His “strategic acumen is apparent,” writes Rolling Stone, between paragraphs praising Jolani for leading a successful movement against a dictator.

CNN even scored an exclusive, sit-down interview with Jolani, even as his movement was storming Damascus. When asked by host Jomana Karadsheh about his past actions, he responded by saying, “I believe that everyone in life goes through phases and experiences…As you grow, you learn, and you continue to learn until the very last day of your life,” as if he were discussing embarrassing teenage mistakes, not establishing and leading the Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s franchise in Syria.

This is a far cry from the first time CNN covered Jolani. In 2013, the network labeled him one of “the world’s 10 most dangerous terrorists,” known for abducting, torturing and slaughtering racial and religious minorities.

Still on the U.S. terrorist list today, the FBI is offering a $10 million reward for information about his whereabouts. Washington and other Western governments consider Jolani’s new organization, Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as one and the same as Al-Qaeda/Al-Nusra.

This poses a serious public relations dilemma for Western nations, who supported the HTS-led overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. And thus, Politico and others report there is a “huge scramble” in Washington to remove HTS and Jolani from the terrorist list as quickly as possible.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked about the $10 million reward just three days ago — Tuesday, December 17 — and said that it was still valid:

From the official transcript:

QUESTION: Does the USA (inaudible) like, this $10 million as a prize for al-Jolani, or they, like – it’s not longer valid? Like, you put a prize for $10 million on al-Jolani. Is it still valid, or —

MILLER: It is. It is.

QUESTION: So, like, if hypothetically someone arrested him and, like – like, give him to the military base in the USA, he’s going to take the – he or she is going to take the $10 million?

MILLER: I’m not going to deal with hypotheticals, but the Rewards for Justice – the reward that we issued through our Rewards for Justice program is still valid and outstanding.

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