Western countries, including the United States, have tentatively opened lines of communication with Syria's new rulers. Its rulers are an Islamist coalition led by an al-Qaeda splinter group, whose boss, inconveniently, is a designated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on the table from the United States. head.
Ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad has few friends outside of his Iranian and Russian patrons, leaving the new power in Damascus with very little optimism. The rebel alliance was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group that began as a franchise of al-Qaeda in Syria.
HTS leader Abu Mohammad Al Jolani said: linked Although critical of both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, he has recently argued that the terrorist-jihadist days of his youth are over and that he wants to establish a more moderate and inclusive Islamist state in Syria. are. His reinvention includes dropping his terrorist alias and returning to his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Although HTS and Jolani remain on terrorist blacklists in most Western capitals, Hurriyet Daily News reported On Tuesday, France announced it was venturing into new waters in Damascus for the first time by reopening its embassy and sending a delegation to meet with the victorious rebels.
Germany has also sent diplomats to Damascus, and the United Nations has sent Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, who said he was “encouraged” by the rebels' cooperation in humanitarian efforts.
Turkey and Qatar have also reopened their embassies, which were closed along with most foreign missions at the beginning of Syria's civil war more than a decade ago, and both the US and UK have “begun communications with Syria's new leadership.” .
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also said he was open to dialogue if the rebel government kept its promise to refrain from persecuting Christians and other religious minorities.
“The first signs seem encouraging, but we must be extremely careful. Words must be followed by actions, and we will judge the actions of the new Syrian authorities,” Meloni said. spoke.
The European Union says it plans to have its Syrian embassy “fully operational again” and imposes sanctions on the Assad regime if the HTS government takes “positive steps” to respect the rights of all Syrians. announced its readiness to lift the sanctions imposed.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday: “We need to start discussions on sanctions relief, but this will only be possible if we see real progress on the ground towards a peaceful transition. ” he said.
Syria is one of the worst countries in the world humanitarian disaster area A few years ago, the civil war appeared to be over when Iran and Russia intervened to keep dictator Bashar al-Assad in power. With Iran and Russia weakened by wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the HTS alliance launched a lightning strike in early December and was able to capture Damascus in just 11 days.
The specter of Afghanistan clearly looms over America's relationship with Europe's new Syrian government, an anxiety exacerbated by HTS's open admiration for the Taliban regime. The US, UK and EU are tentatively dangling a carrot before the rebel government in hopes of securing better access to humanitarian aid and halting brutal purges of religious minorities But at the same time, he keeps the whip handy.
Jolani now wears business attire rather than military uniform and is adamant that he should be called Ahmed al-Sharaa. said On Tuesday, Syria's numerous rebel groups announced that they would disband and consolidate their forces under the direction of the Defense Ministry and that “all would be subject to the law.”
“Syria must remain united and there must be a social contract between the state and all sects to ensure social justice,” he said, adding that Western politicians and journalists want to hear He continued to show a talent for precision.
“The calls to maintain law and order come as Syria's new government seeks to reopen public institutions. Preparations are underway to reopen the international airport, and Syria's state news agency reports that the central bank “We broadcast administrative bulletins about exchange rates and police recruitment.” new york times (new york times) reported on tuesday.
In addition to humanitarian concerns and hopes that their own Syrian refugees might be able to return home if the HTS fulfills its promise of a just and inclusive government, Western countries fear that Syria will be divided by factions and outside interests. I'm nervous about it. The biggest part will definitely be carved out by Türkiye. Turkey has troops in Syria and a network of militia alliances to enforce its claims.
President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that the fall of Assad's regime was orchestrated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“I think Turkey was very smart. They conducted an unfriendly occupation without losing many lives,” Trump said.
“What President Assad did to these children is he was a butcher,” Trump added. referred to To Assad, they are “monsters” and “animals.”
senior US official said Turkish forces appear to be massing near the Syrian border, as they did before invading Syria in 2019 to drive Kurdish militias out of the border area, it was announced on Monday. Syrian Kurdish officials have called on President Trump to persuade President Erdogan not to launch another invasion.
“If Turkey moves forward with its invasion, the consequences will be catastrophic,” Kurdish official Ilham Ahmed wrote to President Trump.
“From across the border, we can already see Turkish forces gathering, and our civilians live under constant fear of impending death and destruction,” Ahmed warned.
If Western countries want to keep Erdogan and other predatory interests at bay, they have no choice but to reopen their embassies, establish lines of communication with Damascus, and keep promises of legalization in exchange for good behavior. There are almost no options. The question troubling many diplomats will be whether HTS intends to keep its promise of moderation and whether it will be able to align itself with other rebel groups.
