US revokes ‘terrorist’ designation for Syrian president’s former group HTS

The determination follows the lifting of sanctions connected Damascus aft the autumn of the al-Assad authorities past year.

The United States volition revoke its designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) arsenic a overseas violent organisation (FTO) arsenic Washington softens its attack to post-war Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s authorities past year.

The decision, which takes effect connected Tuesday, comes arsenic portion of US President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to re-engage with Syria and enactment its reconstruction aft much than a decennary of devastating conflict.

“This FTO revocation is an important measurement successful fulfilling President Trump’s imaginativeness of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said successful a connection Monday.

HTS had been designated arsenic a “terrorist” radical by the US since 2018 owed to its erstwhile ties to al-Qaeda.

The radical emerged retired of the al-Nusra Front, erstwhile al-Qaeda’s authoritative subdivision successful Syria, but formally severed those ties successful 2016 aft HTS person Ahmed al-Sharaa declared the group’s independence.

Al-Sharaa, who led the absorption forces that removed al-Assad successful a lightning violative past December, has since go Syria’s president.

He has launched what galore experts person described arsenic a charm violative aimed astatine Western powers, including meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and, astir recently, Trump successful Riyadh successful May.

The Trump medication and the European Union person since lifted sanctions connected Syria.

“In enactment with President Trump’s May 13 committedness to present sanctions alleviation to Syria, I americium announcing my intent to revoke the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of al-Nusrah Front, besides known arsenic Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), nether the Immigration and Nationality Act,” Rubio said.

“Tomorrow’s enactment follows the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government’s committedness to combat coercion successful each its forms.”

HTS was dissolved successful precocious January, with its forces folded into the authoritative Syrian subject and information forces.

Damascus welcomed the US determination arsenic a measurement towards normalisation. In a statement, Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the delisting of HTS was a “positive measurement toward correcting a people that antecedently hindered constructive engagement”.

The ministry added that it hoped the determination would “contribute to the removal of remaining restrictions that proceed to interaction Syrian institutions and officials, and unfastened the doorway to a rational, sovereign-based attack to planetary cooperation”.

Meanwhile, HTS remains nether United Nations Security Council sanctions, which were imposed successful 2014 implicit its erstwhile affiliation with al-Qaeda. Al-Sharaa besides remains nether UNSC sanctions, which tin lone beryllium removed by the Council itself.

Al-Sharaa is reportedly preparing to be the UN General Assembly successful New York this September.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies