U.K. could consider removing ban on Syrian militant group HTS

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had welcomed the overthrow of the “barbaric” Assad regime. File
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The U.K. could lift a ban on the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led to the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. The group had been proscribed in 2017 for its links with al-Qaeda.

U.K. Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden told BBC Radio4 that the government would make a “relatively swift decision” about lifting the ban, if the situation in Syria stabilised. The HTS is also a designated terrorist organisation in the U.S.

“A lot will depend on whether the statements about the protection of minorities and citizens are backed up,” Mr. McFadden said.

“It’s a very fluid situation. No one is certain about what will happen,” he added.

Also read: Syria civil war LIVE updates

Mr. McFadden also told Times Radio that the U.K. “can consider” lifting the ban, if HTS ends up “taking over” Syria.

“The new leader [Abu Muhammad al-] Jolani is saying the right things and making the right noises just now but I think every country will be calculating how do we deal with what happens there next,” Mr. McFadden said. Jolani was chosen by then Islamic State (IS) chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Earlier U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, had welcomed the overthrow of the “barbaric” Assad regime.

“Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails, and peace and stability is restored,” Mr. Starmer said on Sunday (December 9, 2024) while he was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on an unrelated trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Starmer called for the protection of civilians and minorities, and for aid to reach those in need.

Assad’s wife so far not sought return to UK

The British wife of Mr. Assad, Asma al-Assad, had not requested to return to the U.K, according to Mr. McFadden.  The Assad family is in Russia, where they have been granted political asylum, as per Russian state media. Ms. Assad is a former investment banker, the daughter of a Syrian diplomat and cardiologist, who live in the suburbs of London.