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The critical question for Syria: Will Europe remove HTS from the list of terrorist organizations?

byadmin
December 9, 2024

The UK, which made a statement following the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, delivered an important message regarding HTS. Pat McFadden, who runs the Cabinet Office, said the government would review the banning of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). McFadden said, “European countries will probably look at this now too.” Germany, on the other hand, stated that their stance against HTS would be determined by the group’s attitude towards minorities.

The Syrian opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime, could be removed from the UK’s terror list. Pat McFadden, who heads the Cabinet Office, said the Government would review the ban of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist militant group that led the rebels’ two-week march on Damascus.
Speaking to Sky News when asked if the Government would reconsider the ban, McFadden said: “Yes, we will consider it and I think it will depend in part on how that group behaves at the moment.” McFadden added: “But I think countries around the world that have banned it, not just the UK but the United States, European countries, I think they will probably look at it now and see what happens in the future. But over the weekend, that’s what happened. “We haven’t made any decisions on that.”
When asked how long it would take to make a decision, McFadden said: “It won’t take that long. I think we’ll have to do it pretty quickly.” On Sunday, John Sawers, the former head of MI6, said the UK should reconsider the ban, saying: “Because it would be quite ridiculous if we were unable to engage with the new leadership in Syria because of a ban that goes back 12 years.”
“I think the leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has made a huge effort over the last 10 years to distance himself from these terrorist groups,” Sawers said.
The former MI6 chief said HTS’s actions over the past two weeks were “not the actions of a terrorist organisation, but of a liberation movement”. When asked whether the UK should establish relations with the new administration, he replied: “Absolutely. As you know, there is a new reality in Syria. We have witnessed the collapse of a ruthless, horrific organisation, a regime that has been in power in Syria for over 50 years.”
Germany, on the other hand, stated that their stance against HTS would be determined by the group’s attitude towards minorities. A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “In recent years and months, HTS has sought to distance itself from its jihadist roots and establish a civilian infrastructure… Whether these efforts can be taken seriously will be determined by its attitude towards civilians, especially minorities, in the areas under its control.”
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