Latest news with #Al-Sharaa
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
US envoy criticizes Israel's intervention in Syria
President Trump's Special Envoy for Syria on Monday criticized Israeli strikes against the country last week as poorly timed and complicating efforts to stabilize the region, in an interview with the Associated Press. Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, is engaged in ceasefire efforts to halt sectarian violence in Syria that broke out last week and triggered an Israeli intervention on behalf of Syria's minority Druze community. A ceasefire was announced on July 18. Speaking in an interview with the AP from Beirut, Barrack said the U.S. was not consulted over Israel's decision to strike Syria last week, 'nor was it the United States' responsibility in matters that Israel feels is for its own self-defense.' But he added that Israel's intervention 'creates another very confusing chapter' and 'came at a very bad time.' Barrack's criticism follows an Axios report that White House officials are branding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a 'madman' who is undermining Trump's wider ambitions in the Middle East. Trump has put his support behind the nascent, interim Syrian government, which took control of the country after ousting long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive at the end of 2024. Trump announced in May that he would lift all U.S. sanctions on the country to give it a chance to rebuild. His administration has also removed the terrorist designation of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the militant group that led the offensive and removed a $10 million bounty for the HTS's chief and now interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. And while Assad's ousting was widely celebrated, tensions and violence between sectarian groups persisted. Last week, fighting broke out in Syria's southern Sweida province between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions. Over 300 people were reportedly killed in the fighting and Israel intervened with strikes against Damascus and against Syrian government forces in the south over what it said was protection for the Druze community. The Druze minority in Israel is deeply respected for its service to the state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were launched to prevent the militarization of Syrian forces on Israel's northern border and to protect 'the brothers of our brothers, the Druze at the Druze Mountain.' Al-Sharaa condemned the Israeli strikes as an attempt to sow 'chaos' in the country. The Trump administration has sought to broker ties between the interim Syrian government and Israel in what would be a major breakthrough in peace relations in the region. Al-Sharaa has signaled openness to brokering ties with Israel but Israeli officials are cautious over empowering a government with past ties to terrorism and groups including Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Memri
3 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
U.S. Legitimizing Al-Sharaa (Al-Joulani) Without Demanding Full Compliance With Conditions And While Ignoring His Constitutional Declaration
During the March 2025 donor conference for Syria, the U.S. presented the new Syrian regime, headed by Ahmed Al-Sharaa – formerly known as Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani, head of the Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham organization (HTS)[1] – with eight conditions for easing the sanctions on Syria. An April report in the Saudi magazine Al-Majalla outlined these conditions, which were never officially disclosed, and also indicated that the Syrian regime had begun to address some but not all of them. The conditions include: allowing access to all Syrian chemical weapons sites and related infrastructure; assuming responsibility for detention centers holding ISIS prisoners and for camps in northeast Syria where their families are held, which are controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, comprising largely Kurds supported by the U.S.; cooperating with the U.S.-led international coalition for fighting ISIS; investigating the fate of U.S. nationals missing in Syria; banning the activity of Palestinian factions in Syria and expelling their members from the country; preventing Iranian presence in Syria and designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), as well as the Lebanese Hizbullah, as terror organizations; allowing the U.S. to carry out military strikes in Syria against elements threatening its security, and refraining from appointing foreign fighters to senior command roles.[2] Although Al-Sharaa had not fully complied with these demands, on May 13, 2025 U.S. President Donald Trump announced, during a visit to Saudi Arabia, that the U.S. sanctions on Syria would be lifted. Moreover, on the following day he met with Al-Sharaa in Riyadh – which was the first encounter between the heads of the two countries in 25 years and marked the renewal of diplomatic relations between them. The meeting was attended in person by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and remotely by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Trump-Al-Sharaa meeting in Riyadh (Image: May 14, 2025). In accordance with Trump's announcement, on May 23 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the easing of sanctions included a 180-day waiver of mandatory sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019,[3] in order to allow investments in Syria and advance its recovery and reconstruction."[4] The same day, the U.S. Treasury Department issued immediate sanctions relief for Syria, and authorized transactions with the new Syrian government and with individuals who had previously been banned. Among these figures was Al-Sharaa,[5] who was under sanctions due to his past as the head of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), an organization that had ties to ISIS and Al-Qaeda and was designated terrorist by a number of countries, including the U.S. On July 7, 2025 the U.S. removed HTS from its terror list. In this process of legitimizing the Al-Sharaa regime, the U.S. was also not deterred by the Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic, a document ratified by Al-Sharaa on March 13, 2025 that serves as Syria's constitution for the transition period, which is to last at least five years.[6] This constitution concentrates control of the three branches of government in the hands of the president, who is responsible for appointing members of parliament, members of government, judges in the High Constitutional Court and members of the Syrian National Security council. Absent from the declaration are oversight apparatuses, checks and accountability requirements for the president, and it does not state that the people are the source of the government's power. Therefore it is perceived by many as a means of cementing Al-Sharaa's role as a dictator. Minority groups, especially Kurds and Druze, have stated that it does not reflect Syria's diversity and places decision-making in the hands of a single sector, namely the Sunnis.[7]
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Syrian government starts evacuating Bedouin families from Sweida in bid to end weeklong clashes
Syrian state media said early Sunday that the government had coordinated with some officials in Sweida to bring in buses to evacuate some 1,500 Bedouins in the city. Syrian Interior Minister Ahmad al-Dalati told SANA that the initiative will also allow displaced civilians from Sweida to return, as the fighting has largely stopped and efforts for a complete ceasefire are ongoing. 'We have imposed a security cordon in the vicinity of Sweida to keep it secure and to stop the fighting there,' al-Dalati told the Syrian state-run news agency. 'This will preserve the path that will lead to reconciliation and stability in the province." Advertisement Buses filled with Bedouin families were accompanied by Syrian Arab Red Crescent vehicles and ambulances. Some families left on trucks with their belongings. Syrian authorities did not give further details about the evacuation and how it ties into the broader agreement, following failed talks for a hostage swap deal Saturday. Advertisement However, Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that as part of the agreement, the Bedouin fighters would have to release Druze women they were holding captive, and leave the province. The Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from Sweida city Sunday, and alongside other tribesman from other parts of the country stood on the outskirts while security forces cordoned off the area. An aid convoy of some 32 Red Crescent vehicles entered the city, though a government delegation with another aid convoy was turned away. After talks for a hostage swap fell through late Sunday, the Observatory and activist groups in Sweida reported hearing what they said were Israeli airstrikes and helicopters over villages where some skirmishes took place between the Bedouins and Druze militias. The Israeli military said it was 'not aware' of any overnight strikes in Syria. Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has tried to appeal to the Druze community while slamming the factions loyal to spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri who have been involved in the clashes. He promised to hold accountable perpetrators of targeted attacks and other violations. The country's Druze community largely celebrated the downfall of the Assad family that ended decades of tyrannical rule. While they had concerns about Al-Sharaa's de facto Islamist rule, a large number wanted to approach matters diplomatically. Al-Hijri and his supporters, though, have taken a more confrontational approach with Al-Sharaa, contrary to most other influential Druze figures. Critics also note al-Hijri's previous allegiance to Assad. However, the numerous cases of sectarian attacks, which included killing Druze civilians and desecrating photos of religious notables, have made the Druze more skeptical of Al-Sharaa and less optimistic of peaceful coexistence. Advertisement More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Syria's leader urges Bedouin tribes to commit to a ceasefire ending clashes with the Druze
BEIRUT — Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes Saturday to 'fully commit' to a ceasefire aimed at ending clashes with Druze-linked militias that left hundreds dead and threatened to unravel the country's postwar transition. Government forces that were initially sent to restore order but essentially sided with the Bedouins against the Druze were redeployed to halt renewed fighting that erupted late Thursday in the southern province of Sweida. The violence has also drawn airstrikes against Syrian forces by neighboring Israel before a truce was reached. In his second televised address since the fighting started, Al-Sharaa blamed 'armed groups from Sweida' for reigniting the conflict by 'launching retaliatory attacks against the Bedouins and their families.' He also said Israeli intervention 'pushed the country into a dangerous phase.' Israel had launched dozens of airstrikes on convoys of government fighters and even struck the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus, saying the attacks were in support of the Druze, who form a substantial community in Israel and are seen as a loyal minority, often serving in the Israeli military. Reports had surfaced of Syrian government-affiliated fighters executing Druze civilians and looting and burning homes over the four days of violence. The U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire early Saturday. Al-Sharaa made no direct reference to the agreement in his speech, but said 'American and Arab mediations stepped in' to restore calm. Addressing the Bedouins, Al-Sharaa said they 'cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country's affairs and restoring security,' adding, 'We thank the Bedouins for their heroic stances but demand they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state's orders.' Meanwhile, a prominent Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, who opposes the current government and has distanced himself from the two ceasefires announced Tuesday and Wednesday, said that an agreement brokered under the sponsorship of guarantor states contained several measures aimed at de-escalating tensions in Sweida. They include the deployment of checkpoints outside the province's administrative borders to contain clashes and prevent infiltration, a 48-hour ban on entry by any party into border villages, and safe, guaranteed passage for remaining members of the Bedouin tribes still in the province. Al-Sharaa reiterated that Sweida 'remains an integral part of the Syrian state, and the Druze constitute a fundamental pillar of the Syrian national fabric,' vowing to protect all minorities in Syria. He also thanked the United States for its 'significant role in affirming its support for Syria during these difficult times,' as well as Arab countries and Turkey, which mediated Wednesday's truce. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. The United Nations estimates that more than 87,000 people have been displaced in Sweida province since July 12 due to heavy shelling, sniper fire and abductions. Entire communities have fled on foot, with many now crammed into overcrowded schools, churches and public buildings under dire conditions, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a report. Infrastructure damage has cut electricity, water and telecommunications in much of the area, it said. The main hospital in Sweida was operating at just 15% capacity due to staff shortages and a lack of fuel. The security situation is also endangering humanitarian workers. The White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, reported that one of their emergency team leaders went missing Wednesday while responding to a call for help from a U.N. team, OCHA said. Aljoud writes for the Associated Press.
Leaders
5 days ago
- Politics
- Leaders
Syria Declares Immediate Ceasefire, Forces Start Deploying in Sweida
The Syrian Presidency on Saturday announced a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire across the country, following days of deadly clashes in the southern province of Sweida, reported Syria's state news agency SANA. The agreement comes as part of a commitment to prevent the bloodshed of the Syrians, preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Syria. Nationwide Ceasefire In the light of this, the Syrian Presidency urged 'all citizens to pave the way for the Syrian State, its institutions and forces, to apply that ceasefire with responsibility, in a way that ensures stabilization and stop the bloodshed.' Moreover, it urged all parties to 'fully commit to the agreement, immediately stop all hostilities across all regions and ensure the safety of civilians.' It warned against any violation of the ceasefire, which would be met with 'legal actions in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws.' Forces Deployment With regards to this, the Syrian security forces have begun deployment in many areas to 'ensure the implementation of the ceasefire, maintain public order, and ensure the protection of citizens and their property.' The agreement followed days of fierce clashes in Sweida, involving Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and government forces. It also came shortly after a US-announced ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and Israel. 'Israeli Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, supported by the USA, have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors,' the US Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, posted on X. Reaffirming Syrian Unity In a televised address, the Syrian Transitional President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, said that Sweida's events marked a 'dangerous turning point' and could have spiraled out of control if the state did not intervene to quell the situation. 'The Syrian State has managed to calm the situation despite difficult circumstances, but the Israeli intervention has pushed the country into a dangerous phase that poses threat to its stability,' Al-Sharaa said. He added that 'American and Arab mediators intervened in an attempt to calm the situation,' following Israeli strikes on Damascus. Furthermore, Al-Sharaa emphasized that Sweida province 'remains an integral part of the Syrian State, and the Druze community is a fundamental pillar of the Syrian national fabric.' Short link : Post Views: 8
