When US officials interact with the revolt crew in power in Syria, they are able to’t be in agreement then again recall a “unsatisfied” event in US world protection: the Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan.
{Photograph}: NY Events
Ultimate week, 3 US diplomats met with leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the gang major the opposition offensive to overthrow the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The target of US officials is to influence HTS – an armed crew in the beginning a division of Al-Qaeda, ruling in Syria in a reasonable path.
That is The U.S.’s easiest conceivable hope to prevent Syria from falling into a brand spanking new spiral of violence and chaos. If this case occurs, it’ll further destabilize the Heart East and give a boost to anti-American terrorist groups.
Categories from Afghanistan
After the meeting in Damascus, US officials mentioned that HTS moreover proved to be very good. Barbara Leaf, a senior US State Department dependable in keep an eye on of the Heart East, mentioned the gang’s leader, Ahmed al-Shara, has made peaceful statements regarding the rights of ladies and minorities. , and devoted to not allowing terrorist groups to serve as within Syrian territory.
On the other hand, US officials however take care of a wary attitude in opposition to Mr. al-Shara. They fear he would in all probability merely be talking sweet keep up a correspondence to win world give a boost to while planning to consolidate power and impose strict Islamic regulation, like what the Taliban did in Afghanistan. in 2021.
As US troops get in a position to withdraw from Afghanistan, US negotiators have sought to put across the Taliban proper right into a power-sharing agreement with other factions and phone on them to abandon their purpose of imposing strict Islamic regulation.
On the other hand, the ones efforts failed. After the United States withdrew its troops and President Ashraf Ghani left the country, the Taliban briefly occupied Kabul and took keep watch over of Afghanistan. This drive straight away imposed strict restrictions on daily life, banned music, closed schools for girls, punished political warring parties and banned women from appearing in most public places. add.
This incident is something that senior officials of President Biden’s control can’t forget.
“There’s a lesson there. The Taliban tried to provide a reasonable face when they were given right here to power in Afghanistan, and then their true nature used to be as soon as revealed. Because of this, to in this day and age, they remain unrecognized by means of numerous the sphere,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned at the Council on In another country Members of the family in New York ultimate week.
Mr. Blinken mentioned that this is a lesson for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. On the other hand, some execs believe that the United States moreover needs to learn categories from its non-public failure in Afghanistan.
“US officials say the Taliban will transform further reasonable because of they would love world reputation. Then again Washington didn’t understand that what the Taliban sought first used to be as soon as power, and to take care of that power used to be as soon as to impose Sharia Islamic regulation in Afghanistan,” mentioned Bill Roggio, former US soldier and editor of The Long Battle Magazine. , observation.
On the an identical day that US officials arrived in Damascus, the United States and plenty of other countries expressed deep concern regarding the Taliban’s recent ban on women finding out at scientific schools. The observation moreover known that some terrorist groups keep “secure havens” in Afghanistan and can carry out cross-border attacks.
As long as the Taliban will have to now not have US reputation and reinforce, and don’t even want to get right to use the $10 billion in reserves of the Afghan central monetary establishment that have been frozen by means of the United States, it’ll be difficult for Washington to modify their behavior. .
“The lesson from Afghanistan is that Western chronic is restricted,” mentioned Colin Clarke, research director at The Soufan Staff, a consulting corporate that tracks global terrorism.
Will HTS be different from the Taliban?
Mr. Roggio mentioned that the hope for a further pragmatic Taliban is “a antique case of Western imagination” and could also be something he believes is occurring another time in Syria at the present time.
“We expect that HTS must be known as legit, that they’re willing to be peaceful to get that reputation. Then again we moreover wish to imagine the risk that they’re lying to us and most efficient telling us what we wish to pay attention,” Mr. Roggio commented.
Mr. Roggio is especially skeptical about Mr. al-Shara’s abandonment of the Al-Qaeda position he once publicly supported. A veteran of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Mr. al-Shara led a revolt crew in Syria, to start with known as the Nusra Front.
After putting in the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham crew in 2017, Mr. al-Shara declared that the gang used to be as soon as now not related to Al-Qaeda. On the other hand, the United States State Department however lists HTS as a 15 May Organization, warning that Washington is probably not fooled by means of this crew’s “rebranding” efforts.
US officials actually really feel some comfort when looking at how HTS operated in Idlib forward of overthrowing the Assad government and as well as didn’t use terrorist techniques akin to suicide bombings and didn’t identify for attacks on countries. other.
After her visit to Damascus, Ms. Leaf mentioned the United States had canceled the $10 million reward for somebody providing wisdom ensuing within the snatch of Mr. al-Shara, then again she emphasized that this answer used to be as soon as now not a reward for particular actions. of HTS control then again is just a good drawback.
US officials mentioned they will most efficient remove HTS from the United States terrorist tick list if this crew turns their words into movement. A key test will probably be whether or not or now not Mr. al-Shara’s new government prevents terrorist groups from using Syria as a base.
For some world protection execs, the lesson from the Taliban isn’t that The U.S. should keep a cautious distance, then again that The U.S. needs to interact further actively in Syria.
Zalmay Khalilzad, former US explicit envoy to Afghanistan, mentioned that President Biden’s control made a mistake by means of now not contacting the Taliban at once after the drive returned to power. In line with him, US officials should adopt a further positive means against Syria, and ultimate week’s meeting with Mr. al-Shara used to be as soon as a excellent step.
He moreover mentioned that for the United States, Syria has a further important strategic serve as than Afghanistan, making contact with the new ruling elite in Damascus further urgent.
On the other hand, some analysts say that every one promises need time to verify.
“Words value now not the rest to buy. So irrespective of what they mentioned, check out the actions, now not merely the words,” mentioned analyst Clarke at The Soufan Staff about HTS’s commitments.