Category: Syria

Check out my new ‘Policy Watch’ for the Washington Institute: “Washington Returns to Damascus with High Stakes for Syria’s Transition”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For the first time since October 2011, when Ambassador Robert Ford was pulled from Syria amid U.S. concerns about the Assad regime’s crackdown on protesters, Washington is back in Damascus—this time to engage with the new transitional government led by rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Earlier today, U.S. officials met with HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani (aka Ahmed al-Sharaa) to uncover information on missing Americans Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and others; they were also scheduled to meet with civil society figures, activists, and representatives of various minority communities. The delegation includes Barbara Leaf, the State Department’s assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs; Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs; and Daniel Rubinstein, a long-time Arabist and retired ambassador recently recalled to duty. Their visit comes on the heels of a Pentagon announcement that the U.S. military presence in Syria has jumped from 900 to 2,000 soldiers, illustrating concerns about how the Islamic State (IS) might take advantage of the new situation.

The delegation arrives at a momentous time in Syria’s transition process, which is officially scheduled to last until March 1. Local sources suggest that the second phase of the transition will begin in the coming days, during which HTS is supposed to open the process to more representatives from all of Syrian society, rather than just the HTS loyalists who have overseen the first phase. Therefore, much is at stake for the current U.S. delegation and Washington’s broader efforts to redevelop a Syria policy.

Click here to read the rest.

New statement from Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s General Command: “Highlights of the Meeting of the U.S. State Department Mission With the Commander Aḥmad al-Shar’a and the Syrian Foreign Ministry”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s General Command — Highlights of the Meeting of the U.S. State Department Mission With the Commander Aḥmad al-Shar’a and the Syrian Foreign Ministry

________________

Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this statement for a fee email: [email protected]

New statement from Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s Administration of Military Operations: “To Assad Regime Elements In Dayr al-Zūr Governorate”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s Administration of Military Operations — To Assad Regime Elements In Dayr al-Zūr Governorate

________________

Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this statement for a fee email: [email protected]

New statement from Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s Administration of Military Operations: “Important Notice Regarding Stolen Items From the Immigration and Passports Department Building In Damascus”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s Administration of Military Operations — Important Notice Regarding Stolen Items From the Immigration and Passports Department Building In Damascus

_______________

Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this statement for a fee email: [email protected]

New release from Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām: “Text of the Message of the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain To the Commander Aḥmad al-Shar’a”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām — Text of the Message of the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain To the Commander Aḥmad al-Shar’a

_________________

Source: Telegram

To inquire about a translation for this statement for a fee email: [email protected]

Check out my new Q&A with Foreign Policy: “What to Know About the Man Who Toppled Assad”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

logo

After 13 years of devastating civil war, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled in a stunning offensive led by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The country now confronts an uncertain future—not least of which is how HTS, which evolved out of an al Qaeda affiliate with ties to the founder of the Islamic State, will approach governance.

HTS’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa—better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani—has worked for years to distance himself from his al Qaeda roots, but establishing legitimacy in the eyes of the international community, particularly the United States, will be an uphill battle.

There’s also a major question about whether Syria’s instability could cause it to once again become a safe haven for terrorist groups such as the Islamic State to flourish.

Foreign Policy spoke with Aaron Zelin, a terrorism expert and senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who wrote a book on HTS, to find out more about Jolani’s origins, his efforts to rebrand, and what’s potentially in store for Syria now that he’s the country’s de facto ruler.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Click here to read the interview in full.