US revoking 'terrorist' designation for Syria's HTS
An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter's family.
Sharaa took over as interim president, a move that has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe and elsewhere, with historic foe Israel seeking to build ties with the new government.
Washington's move will formally take effect on Tuesday, and comes after US President Donald Trump last week formally dismantled his country's sanctions against Syria.
Trump had lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to help reintegrate the war-battered country into the global economy.
The United States had already removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power.
HTS was earlier known as Al-Nusra Front, and was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, but it broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016 and sought to soften its image.
As of 2017, HTS claimed control of swaths of the province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest, and went on to develop a civil administration in the area, amid accusations of brutal abuses against those who dared dissent.
In January, after overthrowing Assad's regime, the new authorities announced the dissolution of all armed factions, with some groups including HTS being integrated into bodies such as the country's new police force.
- International reengagement -
On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel.
The United States and European countries have moved steadily to reengage with Syria since Sharaa took over as interim president, with Britain reestablishing diplomatic ties on Saturday after more than a decade.
Britain has also lifted sanctions on Syria's interior and defense ministries, as well as on various media groups, intelligence agencies and some sectors of the economy.
The Assad regime was toppled after more than 13 years of civil war by a rebel offensive led by Sharaa.
The rebellion was sparked in 2011 by protests against the Assads' brutal rule that were part of the Arab Spring movement.
The growing international backing comes as Syria's new leaders attempt to rebuild the country and reboot its moribund economy, both ravaged by the conflict and crippling sanctions.
From wanted jihadist to statesman embraced by world leaders, interim president Sharaa has undergone a stunning transformation in just six months.
He now leads a government through a five-year transitional period under a temporary constitution that experts and rights groups say concentrates power in his hands.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
The tribulations of Kilmar Abrego Garcia: An allegory of the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants
Among the thousands – or even millions – of people whose lives have been upended over the past six months by Donald Trump's policies, Kilmar Abrego Garcia holds a special place. The 30-year-old Salvadoran, who entered the US illegally at the age of 16, had managed to build a relatively quiet life in Maryland with his American wife and their three children, one of whom has autism. Through a union, he secured an apprenticeship contract in metalworking. On March 12, he was thrust out of anonymity when immigration police arrested him as he was picking up his son from his grandmother's home in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Three days later, he was among more than 200 other "criminals" on a plane headed to El Salvador and a high-security prison at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot). It was, by the Department of Homeland Security's own admission, an "administrative error": in 2019, a judge had prohibited his return to his home country, where he faced the risk of torture. Kilmar Abrego Garcia has never regained his freedom, a victim caught in a political-judicial system beyond his control. Over the course of four months, he was shuttled from Maryland to Louisiana, from Texas to El Salvador, from which he was only brought back on June 6, following pressure from the judiciary. Against his will, he has become a symbol of the standoff between the courts – which continue to uphold the principle that no one can be detained without trial – and Donald Trump, who is quick to see a criminal in every migrant, and a challenge to his policies in every reminder of the rule of law.
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
European Commission dismisses interpreter over suspected espionage for Moscow
Interpreters are not merely translators; they are also among the few witnesses to confidential discussions between leaders. The European Commission was recently reminded of this after an incident – kept confidential until now – led to disciplinary action against a Franco-Ukrainian interpreter working for the institution. The incident took place on December 19, 2024, during a European Council meeting in Brussels, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in attendance. The findings of the internal investigation have since been forwarded to Belgian authorities, who will decide whether to pursue further investigations and whether the actions in question constitute Russian espionage. On that December day, the European Council was hosting Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting was crucial: it was intended to determine the future of European support for Kyiv, which has been under attack by Russia since February 2022. The re-election of US President Donald Trump one month prior – who had promised during his campaign to end the war "in 24 hours" – changed the dynamic. On that day, European leaders sought to agree on a common position before the newly elected president returned to the White House.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Justice Dept sues California over transgender athletes
Female student athletes in California are being subjected to "unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams," the department said. The lawsuit accuses California of violating Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. The Justice Department suit is the latest salvo in a showdown between the administration of Republican President Donald Trump and the Democratic-ruled state. Trump sent thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles last month to quell protests against roundups of undocumented migrants by federal agents. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said the troops were not necessary to address the mostly peaceful protests, but his legal efforts to have them removed have failed so far. Trump threatened last month to impose "large scale" fines against California after a transgender high school athlete's victory at the state track and field championships. The Justice Department suit accuses the California Department of Education and California Interscholastic Federation of engaging in "illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them." "The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is 'deeply unfair' to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports," Attorney General Pam Bondi said. "But not only is it 'deeply unfair,' it is also illegal under federal law." The Justice Department sued Maine in April for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports, and the Trump administration has moved to cut the northeastern state's federal funding for public schools. The Supreme Court agreed earlier this month to hear cases next term challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender athletes from female competitions. More than two dozen US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned male at birth from taking part in girls or women's sports.
