New SNC leader has Saudi links

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) elected a new president to succeed Ahmad Jarba on 9 July, in the latest effort to inject momentum into an increasingly marginalised opposition. Hadi Al-Bahra is viewed as a smoother operator than Saudi-backed Jarba, who had served the maximum two six-month terms. While Jarba’s rural tribal connections (as a member of the cross-border Shammar tribe) worked well for the SNC’s chief funder Saudi Arabia, Bahra is viewed as the better diplomat; as head of the SNC’s Geneva peace talks negotiating team, he is also well known internationally.