Howard Altman
Syrian rebels selected a new caretaker prime minister on Tuesday as the nation remains roiled by conflict after the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad. Mohammed al-Bashir assumes office on an interim basis amid ongoing fighting in parts of the country and as Israel and the U.S. take advantage of the post-Assad power vacuum in the form of mass airstrikes.
Bashir is a provincial leader aligned with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former al-Qaidi-linked group that led the lightning 11-day offensive that toppled Assad. He will serve until March 1, 2025, Al Jazeera reported. His appointment was announced after meeting with members of the old Assad government.
“Today we had a meeting for the cabinet and we invited members from the old government and some directors from the administration in Idlib and its surrounding areas, in order to facilitate all the necessary works for the next two months until we have a constitutional system to be able to serve the Syrian people,” he told Al Jazeera.
Bashir headed the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) in Idlib province before the rebel offensive and has close ties to HTS.
A Facebook page of the rebel administration says “al-Bashir was trained as an electrical engineer, later received a degree in sharia and law, and has also held posts in education,” Al Jazeera explained.
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