Starmer: Premature to Delist Syrian Rebel Group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the government has not yet decided on potentially delisting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its roster of proscribed terrorist organizations, following the group’s leadership in the recent ousting of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. HTS was designated a terrorist organization in the UK in 2017, identified as an alias of al-Qaeda, which prohibits the UK from engaging in any communication with the group. Previously, Cabinet minister Pat McFadden informed the BBC that the UK might remove HTS from the list. However, Sir Keir asserted that it was “far too early” to contemplate such a policy alteration. From Saudi Arabia, the prime minister commented that “we have to work to make sure that this is a peaceful opportunity” for Syria. Sir Keir further noted, “We have all seen in other parts of history where we think there is a turning point – it turns out not necessarily to be the better future that we hope for,” emphasizing, “We’ve got to make sure this is different.” In a separate statement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy informed the Commons that the UK “will judge HTS by their actions, monitoring closely how they and other parties to this conflict treat all civilians in areas they control”. HTS, alongside allied rebel factions, took control of Damascus, the Syrian capital, on Sunday, concluding years of civil war. The Terrorism Act 2000 grants the home secretary the authority to proscribe an organization if there is a belief that it engages in, prepares for, promotes, encourages, or is otherwise involved in terrorism, provided such action is deemed proportionate. Membership in a listed group constitutes a criminal offense. Furthermore, organizing a meeting to support the activities of a proscribed organization is also unlawful. HTS is also subject to sanctions from the United States and the United Nations because of its designation as a terrorist entity. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of HTS, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, severed connections with al-Qaeda in 2016. He has recently committed to promoting tolerance among various religious groups and communities. In a separate development, the UK government declared an additional £11 million in humanitarian aid for Syria. A statement indicated that these funds are intended to “meet the needs of the most vulnerable across the country, including the more than 370,000 people estimated to have been displaced by recent events”. On Monday morning, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden informed the BBC that the situation in Syria remained “very fluid,” suggesting that if stability were achieved, a decision regarding the ban could be “relatively swift.” When questioned by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about a potential review of HTS’s terror group designation, McFadden responded: “Yes, obviously that’s got to be considered. They’ve been proscribed for quite a long time now.” He added, “The leader of that group has distanced himself in a way from some of the things that have been said in the past.” McFadden concluded, “He is saying some of the right things about the protection of minorities, about respecting people’s rights. So we’ll look at that in the days to come.” Sir John Sawers, former head of MI6, commented to Sky News that it would be “rather ridiculous” for the UK to be prevented from engaging with HTS due to the existing ban. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel urged the government to assess the “security and defence implications as well as the terrorist risks” presented by the rebel groups. The UK shut its embassy in Damascus in 2013, two years following the brutal suppression of Arab Spring protests by the Assad regime. Prior to this, relations were not as strong as those maintained with nations like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states. Both the UK and the US share a crucial interest in preventing the re-emergence of Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda in the often ungoverned territories of northern Syria. British nationals, including the wives and children of IS fighters in some instances, are still held in Kurdish-administered prison camps in the region’s north. Concurrently, the Home Office has temporarily halted decisions on asylum applications from Syrians to the UK. This reflects the dynamic nature of the Syrian situation, its numerous implications, and the challenging decisions it presents and will continue to present. Additional reporting was contributed by BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner and BBC political editor Chris Mason. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.