The United States is reportedly considering removing the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the revolution in Syria from its list of terrorist organizations, Politico reported on Monday, citing senior US officials.
According to the United States Counterterrorism Guide, HTS is a coalition of Sunni Islamist insurgent groups that stemmed from al Qaeda’s former branch in Syria.
The group was designated a terror group by the UN in 2015 and the US in 2018.
According to Politico, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of HTS, denounced al Qaeda and cut all ties with the group in 2016. He has since reportedly worked to rebrand his organization as “a moderate force to oppose Assad.”
“There is a huge scramble to see if, and how, and when we can delist HTS,” an anonymous official said.
‘Good messages’
At a UN press briefing in Geneva earlier this week, Geir Pedersen, UN special envoy for Syria, expressed hope for a peaceful future for Syria.
“We have to be honest and look at the facts,” he said, “It has been nine years since that resolution was adopted, and the reality so far is that HTS and other armed groups have been sending good messages to the Syrian people of unity and inclusiveness. In Hama and Aleppo, there have been reassuring things on the ground.”
