Over most of two decades, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s life has been a roadmap of Islamist militancy in Iraq and Syria. Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant who leads the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham now seeks a new relationship with the West. In his first interview with a Western journalist, the former Al Qaeda commander tells FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith his fight is with Syrian President Assad, not the U.S.

UPDATE: After Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December 2024, Jolani began using his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and became Syria’s interim president.