Syria’s New Leader: No Threat to World, Says HTS Chief Ahmed al-Sharaa
Syria’s New Leader Seeks to Reassure World, Calls for End to Sanctions
Damascus, Syria – Ahmed al-Sharaa, the de facto leader of Syria following the swift overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, has declared that the war-torn nation poses no threat to its neighbors or the West. In an exclusive interview with the BBC in Damascus, Sharaa, who led the rebel alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to victory, called for the lifting of international sanctions against Syria.
Sharaa, formerly known by his wartime pseudonym Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, emphasized Syria’s exhaustion from years of conflict. He asserted that HTS, designated a terrorist organization by the UN, US, EU, and UK, among others, should be removed from such lists.”We are not a terrorist group,” Sharaa stated, vehemently denying accusations of targeting civilians. “We consider ourselves victims of the Assad regime’s crimes. The victims should not be treated the same as the oppressors.”
Addressing concerns about HTS’s past ties to al-Qaeda, from which it split in 2016, Sharaa sought to distance the group from its extremist origins. He dismissed comparisons to Afghanistan, highlighting the distinct cultural and societal fabric of syria.
“Syria is not Afghanistan,” Sharaa insisted. “We have a different mindset. We believe in education for women.”
Throughout the interview, Sharaa projected an air of calm assurance, dressed in civilian clothes, attempting to allay fears about HTS’s intentions.However, many Syrians remain skeptical, awaiting concrete actions from the new leadership to determine the future direction of the country.
The coming months will be crucial in revealing the true nature of Syria under HTS rule. The world watches closely to see if Sharaa’s words translate into a peaceful and inclusive future for the war-ravaged nation.
Syria’s New Leader Seeks Reassurance, Calls for End to Sanctions
Damascus, Syria – In a stunning turn of events, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the rebel alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, has declared that Syria poses no threat to the international community. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Sharaa called for the immediate lifting of international sanctions against Syria.
Sharaa, who was known during the war by the pseudonym Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, emphasized Syria’s exhaustion after years of conflict. He vehemently denied HTS’s designation as a terrorist organization by the UN, US, EU, and UK, stating, “We are not a terrorist group. We consider ourselves victims of the Assad regime’s crimes. The victims should not be treated the same as the oppressors.”
Addressing concerns about HTS’s past ties to al-Qaeda, from which it split in 2016, Sharaa sought to distance the group from its extremist origins. He dismissed comparisons to Afghanistan, emphasizing Syria’s distinct culture and societal values.
“Syria is not Afghanistan,” Sharaa insisted. “We have a diffrent mindset. We believe in education for women.”
sharaa, dressed in civilian clothes, projected an air of calm assurance throughout the interview, attempting to allay fears about HTS’s intentions.Though, many Syrians remain skeptical, waiting to see concrete actions from the new leadership before charting the future direction of the country.
The coming months will be critical in determining the true nature of Syria under HTS rule.The world watches closely to see if sharaa’s words translate into a peaceful and inclusive future for the war-ravaged nation.