UK Foreign Secretary Lammy Confirms Diplomatic Contact with Syrian Rebel Group

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has stated that the British government has engaged in “diplomatic contact” with the Syrian rebel group responsible for overthrowing the Assad regime. Lammy clarified that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) remains a designated terrorist organization, but the UK “can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact, as you would expect.” His American counterpart, Antony Blinken, announced on Saturday that the US had established “direct contact” with the HTS rebels, who are now in control of Syria. Lammy’s comments were made as the government unveiled a £50 million humanitarian aid package for vulnerable Syrians, including refugees residing in the region. Speaking on Sunday, Lammy articulated the UK’s aspirations: “We want to see a representative government, an inclusive government. We want to see chemical weapons stockpiles secured, and not used, and we want to ensure that there is not continuing violence.” He elaborated, “For all of those reasons, using all the channels that we have available, and those are diplomatic and of course intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to.” The diplomatic engagement with HTS does not imply that the foreign secretary has personally communicated with the rebel group. Whitehall sources indicate that the contact mentioned is permitted under existing terrorism legislation, which, for example, allows NGOs to have contact for the purpose of providing humanitarian assistance. Such contact does not signify that the UK’s classification of HTS as a terrorist group is being revoked. However, it does suggest that the UK government has initiated a process of evaluating HTS based on its actions. Both the UK and the US have a keen interest in the unfolding situation in Syria. Blinken informed reporters on Saturday that the US’s interaction with HTS was specifically related to the fate of the missing American journalist, Austin Tice. The US State Department reported that Blinken and Lammy spoke on Sunday, with the secretary of state assuring the foreign secretary that Washington would support “an accountable and representative” government in Syria, “chosen by the Syrian people.” When asked if HTS might be removed from the UK’s list of proscribed terror groups, Lammy affirmed that the rebel group remains a proscribed organization that originated from al-Qaeda. “Al-Qaeda is responsible for a tremendous loss of life on British soil,” Lammy stated, adding: “We will judge them [HTS] on their actions, I won’t comment on future proscription but of course we recognise that this is an important moment for Syria.” Earlier this week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicated that no decision had yet been made regarding HTS’s proscription status. Regarding the financial commitment to the Middle Eastern country, Lammy noted it followed discussions held on Saturday in Aqaba. Hosted by Jordan, delegates from several nations agreed on the importance of a “non-sectarian and representative government,” the protection of human rights, unhindered access for humanitarian aid, the secure destruction of chemical weapons, and the fight against terrorism. The talks were attended by representatives from the UK, US, France, Germany, the Arab Contact Group, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the EU, and the UN. HTS was not present at the meeting in Jordan. Nevertheless, all participants in Aqaba believed it was crucial to engage with HTS, and that such engagement should be founded on humanitarian access and the principles outlined previously. The UK specified that £30 million would be directed within Syria for food, shelter, and emergency healthcare, while £10 million would be allocated to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Lebanon, and another £10 million to the WFP and the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, in Jordan. In addition to the £50 million in aid for Syrians in the region, the UK government announced £120,000 of UK funding to support the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in its mission “to rid Syria of chemical weapons” and to assist the interim Syrian government. The UK closed its embassy in Damascus in 2013, two years after the Arab Spring protests began to be brutally suppressed there by the Assad regime. Between 2011 and 2021, more than 30,000 Syrians were granted asylum in the UK, but on Monday the Home Office declared it was no longer possible to assess outstanding cases given the change in circumstances. Last week, the HTS rebel group, alongside allied rebel factions, brought an end to Assad’s rule. Subsequently, the Home Office paused its decisions on Syrian asylum claims to the UK because the government has not determined whether Syria, under the new rebel-led authorities, constitutes a safe country to which people could be sent. The Assad family had governed Syria for over 50 years. In 2011, Bashar al-Assad crushed a peaceful, pro-democracy uprising, igniting a civil war in which more than half a million people were killed and 12 million others were forced to flee their homes. Further reports are now emerging detailing the brutality of Assad’s regime and the suffering it inflicted upon the lives of many Syrians. However, given the Islamist militant group’s past affiliations with al-Qaeda, religious minorities in Syria and neighboring countries express concern about their future under HTS’s governance.