Trump administration removes terrorist designation from Syrian group
The trump administration recently announced the removal of the terrorist designation from the Syrian leader Ahmed al Sharaa’s group, Hay’at Tahrir al Sham, wich had overthrown former President Bashar Assad.Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially lifted the designation, reflecting a shift in U.S. foreign policy towards the new Syrian government in the wake of the civil war. This decision came shortly after President Trump signed an executive order aimed at lifting economic sanctions on Syria too support its transitional government. Rubio emphasized the administration’s recognition of the new government’s efforts against terrorism and its commitment to a stable and peaceful syria.Although sanctions were removed from al Sharaa’s group, those against Assad and his affiliates remain in place due to ongoing human rights violations.
Trump administration removes terrorist designation from Syrian leader’s group after lifting sanctions
The Trump administration announced on Monday it revoked the terrorist designation placed on the new Syrian leader’s group that overthrew the country’s former president, Bashar Assad, late last year.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio lifted the foreign terrorist organization designation from Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa’s al Nusra Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al Sham. The change took effect Tuesday.
The move comes one week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting sanctions on Syria as a way to help the country’s transitional government gain its footing following a civil war that led to Assad’s ouster in December.
Under the executive order, Rubio was ordered to review Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, Hay’at Tahrir al Sham’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization, and the group’s and al Sharaa’s designations as specially designated global terrorists.
Rubio decided to revoke the group’s designation on June 23 after consulting with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to an advance notice published by the Federal Register. Trump’s executive order arrived seven days later.
The Trump administration seems pleased with the new Syrian government’s efforts to “combat terrorism in all its forms,” Rubio said in a statement.
“This action also builds on the momentum of the June 30 Executive Order ‘Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions’ and recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa,” he added. “This FTO revocation is an important step in fulfilling President Trump’s vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria.”
Notably, al Sharaa’s government dissolved armed factions, including Hay’at Tahrir al Sham, and incorporated them into the nation’s police force. The group, which was previously linked to al Qaeda, was first designated a foreign terrorist organization in May 2014 under the Obama administration.
Tuesday’s action follows a trend of the White House softening its stance on postwar Syria following the fall of Assad’s regime, which used chemical weapons against its own citizens.
Trump met with Sharaa during his visit to Saudi Arabia in May.
On Monday, Trump said he was “very impressed” with the new leader and revealed his administration lifted its economic sanctions on Syria “because we want to give them a chance.”
Days after Trump’s meeting with al Sharaa, Rubio warned the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the transitional Syrian government could collapse and cause a “full-scale civil war of epic proportions” if the United States doesn’t engage meaningfully with al Sharaa.
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The president’s executive order does not remove sanctions imposed on Assad, his top aides, family members, affiliated groups, and officials who have committed human rights abuses, been involved in drug trafficking, or taken part in Syria’s chemical warfare.
The former Syrian leader fled Damascus as Hay’at Tahrir al Sham led the rebel offensive on the capital. He remains exiled in Moscow.
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