DAMASCUS - Hajat Tahrir ash-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad ash-Shara has vowed that Syria will not pose a threat to other Arab countries and expressed hope that development models of the Gulf countries can be emulated to boost Syria's economic growth.
In an interview with the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat al-Shara, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, said Syria would no longer serve as a "platform of concern" for Arab or Gulf states.
He stated that "revolutionary period" ended with the fall of the previous government, and outlined his administration's commitment to constructive ties that promote economic cooperation and long-term peace. "We will not allow Syria to attack or trouble any Arab or Gulf country," al-Shara said, adding that a national dialogue on the draft of the new constitution was underway, although he did not give further details.
HTS leader Ahmad al-Shara (R) speaks with Stephen Hickey, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Unit at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in Damascus, Syria, December 17, 2024. /CFP
US officials meet with al-Shara
That same day, al-Shara met with senior US diplomats visiting Damascus, marking a significant shift in Western engagement with HTS. The meeting took place at a time when Western governments, including the US, France and the UK, are exploring the possibility of de-designating HTS as a terrorist organisation.
The United States has outlined a set of principles. The delegation stressed that the future Syrian government must be inclusive, respect minority rights and ensure that terrorist groups cannot pose a threat. Barbara Leaf, the State Department's top Middle East diplomat, told reporters after the meeting that al-Shara "acted pragmatically", and announced that the U.S. would drop the $10 million bounty on his head.
Washington designated al-Shara a terrorist in 2013, claiming that al-Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with toppling the Assad government and imposing Islamic Sharia law in Syria. He said that the Nusra Front, a precursor to HTS, carried out suicide attacks killing civilians and espoused a violent sectarian vision.
Al-Shara said that the designation as a terrorist was unjust and that he was against the killing of innocent people. Al-Shara, who formerly served as al-Qaeda's branch commander, led the 12-day military campaign that led to the fall of Bashar Assad's government on December 8.
UN condemns presence of Israeli soldiers in the demilitarised zone
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council on Friday extended the peacekeeping mission in the Golan Heights for another six months and warned that military activity in the demilitarised zone threatened to escalate tensions.
The UN observer force, which has been patrolling the area since the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic, has expressed concern about Israeli airstrikes in Syria and the presence of Israeli soldiers in the demilitarised zone. Israeli officials described their actions as temporary measures to secure the country's borders, but gave no timetable for troop withdrawal.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that no military forces other than UN peacekeepers should operate in the area and called the Israeli airstrikes a violation of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity that "must end".
In a resolution adopted on Friday, the Security Council stressed that all parties must abide by the 1974 ceasefire agreement to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of local civilians and UN staff.
CGTN / gnews.cz-jav
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