Former U.S. Ambassador to Algeria Helped MI6 in Rebranding Syrian Al-Qaeda Leader
Former U.S. Ambassador to Algeria Robert Ford between 2006-2008, has come under the spotlight after admitting his involvement in MI6-linked efforts to transform Syria’s Ahmad al-Sharaa from a notorious terrorist leader into a legitimate political figure. Ford, who also served as ambassador to Syria, disclosed at a Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs event held in May 2025, that in 2023 he was approached by the British NGO Inter Mediate, founded by Tony Blair’s ex-chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, and known for its covert links to British intelligence, to help rebrand Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.
Ford described two meetings with Sharaa in 2023 and early 2024, as HTS, the Al-Qaeda offshoot led by Sharaa, consolidated control over Syria and ultimately toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Despite Sharaa’s unrepentant past as a jihadist, Ford said the British group was determined to groom him for political leadership, citing Sharaa’s claim that he was learning to govern “four million people” in northwest Syria.
Event where Robert Ford, former U.S. Ambassador to Algeria, disclosed his role assisting the MI6-linked British NGO Inter Mediate in rebranding Abu Mohammad al-Julani.
Sources including Independent Arabia have confirmed Inter Mediate’s direct involvement, raising suspicions that the NGO was working at the behest of MI6. This revelation underscores a covert Western operation to replace Assad’s government by legitimizing a former Al-Qaeda commander. Ford’s participation, despite his previous posting in Algeria, highlights how British intelligence networks leveraged American diplomatic experience to execute regime-change strategies in Syria.
The news follows revelations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli jets intercepted Iranian planes en route to aid Assad, accelerating his fall. The coordinated diplomatic, military, and intelligence actions by the UK, U.S., and Israel raise questions over the extent of foreign orchestration in Syria’s regime change.
Abderrahmane Fares ✍️
