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Are the Syrian Rebels Preferable to the Assad Regime?

(Washington Post) Max Boot - The Syria experts I've talked to in recent days argue that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - a U.S.-designated terrorist group - is preferable to the Assad regime. Although HTS began as an offshoot of al-Qaeda, it broke ties with that terrorist group more than a decade ago and has, in fact, battled both al-Qaeda and Islamic State fighters. HTS is still an illiberal, Islamist movement with a history of human rights violations, but it is not known to have carried out crimes against humanity, unlike the regime it is fighting. Steven Heydemann, a professor of Middle East studies at Smith College, told me, "It is no longer the kind of Salafist movement it was when affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra and al-Qaeda more than a decade ago. HTS is trying very hard to distance itself from the radical form of Islamism we see in the Taliban." Heydemann suggested the U.S. explore delisting HTS as a terrorist organization, provided it meets certain requirements, such as protecting Christians, Kurds and other minority groups in the areas under its control.
2024-12-08 00:00:00
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