Terrorist leaders in the Middle East have a tradition of using an alias, pseudonym, or “ nom de guerre ,” even when their true identities and given names are common knowledge.
This serves the symbolic purpose of demonstrating commitment to the cause, with the civilian man “reborn” into a second life as a militant leader. It also confuses Western media and helps to preserve the political viability of extremist leaders who adopt conventional political roles.
This focus on Assad led Sharaa to grow more estranged from al-Qaeda’s agenda. He founded a branch of al-Qaeda called the Nusra Front in Syria, but later renamed it Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)…
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