US reportedly weighs removing HTS from terror list
Members from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) gather at a position in the eastern outskirts of the town of Atarib, in Syria's northern province of Aleppo on November 27, 2024. (AFP Photo)
The Biden administration is reportedly considering removing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations to facilitate cooperation with the “new administration in Syria.”
According to an NBC News report, citing two unnamed senior U.S. officials, the administration is assessing scenarios regarding HTS’s status. Officials indicated that the U.S. is exploring steps to delist HTS, which has been designated as a terrorist group since 2018.
Goal is to work more effectively with ‘new Syrian government’
One official suggested that HTS could be removed from the list “soon,” while another noted that the process remains in its early stages.
The primary goal, they explained, is to enable the U.S. and other nations to work more effectively with the emerging government in Syria.
The officials also discussed the possibility of lifting the $10 million bounty on HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.
However, the U.S. State Department recently clarified that no policy changes regarding HTS’s status have been made.
Syria after fallen Assad regime
On November 27, clashes intensified between armed opposition groups and forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. Between November 30 and December 7, opposition forces gained control of key cities, including Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and Homs.
By December 7, opposition fighters entered Damascus with widespread public support. Assad’s regime lost control of the capital and other regions, leading to the collapse of the government. Bashar al-Assad fled the capital, ending the 61-year rule of the Ba’ath Party.
Meanwhile, the Syrian National Army launched its “Dawn of Freedom Operation” in December, liberating Tel Rifaat from PKK/YPG terror group control on the first day. The operation also freed Manbij, dismantling one of the largest PKK/YPG strongholds west of the Euphrates River.
