The head of the Islamist rebels in Syria said that the "goal" of their operation, which began suddenly last week, is to "overthrow" the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"When we talk about goals, the goal of the revolution is to overthrow this regime. We have the right to use all necessary means to achieve this goal," said Abu Mohammed al-Julani, speaking to the American television network CNN, in an interview published today.
Meanwhile, Julani yesterday urged neighboring Iraq to "keep its distance" from the situation in Syria, in a message addressed to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
"We urge (Sudani) to thwart Iraq's entry into Syria's new furnace," Julani said in a video message posted on the rebels' account on the Telegram messaging app.
Julani is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has led a rebel coalition against the Syrian regime.
Julani also called on Sudani to "stop Hashd al-Shaabi from intervening" in Syria, referring to the coalition of former Iranian-backed paramilitary groups that have joined the Iraqi armed forces in recent years.
“There are many fears and delusions, which some Iraqi politicians believe, that what is happening in Syria will spread to Iraq. I categorically state that it is false,” he added.
Source: protothema.gr
