Ahmed al-Sharaa’s jihadi terrorists no match for Hezbollah.
By Kurt Nimmo at Global Research.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, is a gentleman, according to the President of the United States. We get along very well with the president of Syria,” Trump said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this gentleman’s going to do a job just like that. He’s done a very good job.”
The job Trump has in mind is going up against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“He would like to come in and do something with Hezbollah,” Trump continued during a press conference with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. “They’ve been fighting—he’s been fighting Hezbollah for a long time. I think it’d be very effective.”
Syria is no match for Hezbollah. It remains in disarray following the civil war engineered and financed by the United States, its European allies, and Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as the al-Nusra Front, was a Sunni jihadist group that emerged in Syria during the civil war. It quickly became one of the most formidable rebel factions opposing the Syrian government.
Syria’s Jolani was Leader of al-Qaeda Offshoot
Jolani, Trump’s “gentleman,” was the emir of al-Nusra Front, later Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. In 2013, during the Syrian civil war, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State in Iraq, announced al-Nusra Front was “part of al-Qaeda,” according to the BBC. The jihadist paramilitary group aimed to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad and establish an Islamic state based on Sharia law.
According to Amnesty International and other human rights groups, al-Nusra Front is responsible for serious war crimes, including abductions, torture, and summary executions. Jolani’s group, while designated as terrorist by the US, nonetheless “received weapons, cash, and logistical support via CIA-vetted programs in Jordan and Turkey, blending seamlessly with so-called Free Syrian Army units,” writes Omid Souresrafil.
“Jolani maintained his allegiance to al-Qaeda,” according to News18. “From the beginning, he prioritized winning Syrian support, distancing himself from IS’s brutality and stressing on a more pragmatic approach to jihad.”
He began his career at Camp Bucca, the US internment camp in Iraq, described as an incubator that programmed jihadists. The camp was a critical node in the military intelligence network established in Iraq during the US occupation.
John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer who went to prison for exposing CIA torture, “has now said publicly what many of us have long argued: Jolani is, in all likelihood, a CIA asset,” Kevork Almassian writes. In 2012, the Obama administration commissioned Operation Timber Sycamore, an effort by the CIA to arm, fund, and train rebel groups in Syria, including Jolani’s al-Nusra Front.
Operation Timber Sycamore
“Abu Mohammad al-Jolani did not ascend to the presidency of Syria by accident,” Cyrus Nezakat posted to X. “He is the direct product of Operation Timber Sycamore’s success; a program that helped engineer the fall of the Assad regime by channeling support to al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda splinter group he himself founded.”
On July 21, Kan News and other sources reported Syria was making contingency plans, including “potential cross-border military action,” against Hezbollah. Fox News reported Trump as saying “Israel is incapable to deal with Hezbollah, I am close to giving this task to Syria because he would do a more precise job.”
Trump may or may not know of the division between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. Sunni Salafist Muslims consider the Shia and Syrian Alawite as apostates. Jabhat al-Nusra regarded the Shia as sectarian adversaries instead of a protected community, exhibited by anti-Shia rhetoric, assaults on Shia civilians, and acts of violence directed at Shia religious sites and leaders.
However, if Trump believes a CIA and State Department proxy in Damascus has the ability to confront Hezbollah, he probably is not receiving a fair assessment from his Israel-first advisors on the military strength of Hezbollah.
Syria No Match for Hezbollah
Hezbollah, widely regarded as one of the most proficient non-state armed groups in West Asia, boasts an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 active combatants, complemented by a reserve force of 30,000 to 50,000. Its combat experience, well-defined command structure, Iranian support, and substantial weapons stockpile collectively render it more formidable than a typical militia. In 2026, Reuters reported that Hezbollah has persisted in its rearming efforts and adaptation to losses, including a shift back towards guerrilla-style operations.
In addition to a large number of combatants, Hezbollah possesses one of the world’s largest non-state arsenals. This arsenal is centered around tens of thousands of rockets and missiles, supplemented by drones, anti-ship and air-defense systems, and extensive light infantry weapons. As of early 2026, Hezbollah’s rocket and missile holdings were estimated to be around 11,000–13,000. However, prior to the recent war, in 2024, it was estimated that Hezbollah had between 120,000 and 200,000 missiles.
Finally, Hezbollah acquired significant combat experience in Syria by engaging with ISIS and various insurgent groups in collaboration with the Assad regime, particularly during border and mountainous operations in areas such as Qalamoun, Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus. This experience enhanced its battlefield coordination, small-unit tactics, and capacity to function in an extended multi-front conflict.
In contrast, Syria shows military effectiveness in limited internal campaigns, yet it has not reached a level of full professionalism, unity, or stability as a national military entity. The force is still in the process of being constructed from a mix of former rebel factions and defectors, which results in ongoing issues with cohesion and command discipline. It is capable of applying pressure on weaker local adversaries, but encounters with Syrian Defense Forces in Aleppo and the northeast reveal its struggles against a more organized and determined opponent, such as Hezbollah.
Rubio Admits Syria Incapable of Disarming Hezbollah
The Trump administration may have backed off its desire to use Syria to go up against Hezbollah. Rubio, speaking at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit in Manila, has signaled that Syria is not up to the task.
“The Syrian authorities are not big fans of Hezbollah, but what we’ve encouraged Syria to do is to focus on its own internal challenges and building a nation-state,” said the Secretary of State.
The internal situation in Syria is both fragile and unstable. The transitional government following the overthrow of Assad is attempting to strengthen its authority while contending with renewed conflicts in the northeast, ongoing jihadist operations, and intermittent bombings in Damascus. Additionally, the nation is grappling with issues of displacement, inadequate services, and profound political distrust that spans across sectarian and regional divides.
Kurt Nimmo is a journalist, author, and geopolitical analyst, New Mexico, United States. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG). Visit the author’s blog.
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