Some analysts, most prominently Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute, believe that a reconstituted al-Qaeda is now stronger than it has ever been. “With a majority of armed opposition groups holding back on the battlefield due to ongoing attempts to reach a political settlement, HTS’s [Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] insistence on remaining militarily active and in striking back hard at the heart of the regime is buying it invaluable popular credibility…" (thanks Basim)