From Syrian jihadist leader to rebel politician: How Abu Mohammed al-Jolani reinvented himself

Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani has dropped that nom de guerre associated with his jihadist past, and been using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in official communiques issued since Thursday, ahead of the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

This move is part of Jolani's effort to bolster his legitimacy in a new context, as his Islamist militant…