John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council of the White House, commented on the possibility of the group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham being removed from the U.S. terrorist list, stating that Washington is monitoring the actions of the group's leaders and how they fulfill their promises. On Tuesday, December 20, he emphasized the U.S. connection with opposition groups, including Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in Syria, saying, 'There is currently no discussion about changing [U.S.] policy toward Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, but we are monitoring their actions.' This senior White House official reiterated President Joe Biden's remarks on the matter, adding, 'Mr. al-Julani and others have made correct statements, but these developments have only occurred in the last two days. Therefore, we need to observe and see what they will do in practice and how faithful they are to their promises.' Ahmad al-Shar' (also known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani) is on the U.S. terrorist list. Kirby further stated, 'We have not yet reached a point where we can have serious discussions about removing anyone from the [terrorist] list.' Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the former al-Qaeda branch in Syria, played a key role in the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations.
The U.S. Says It Is Monitoring the Actions of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham
The U.S. is closely monitoring Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's actions and leadership, with no current plans to change its terrorist designation. John Kirby emphasized the importance of observing the group's commitments following recent developments. This situation is significant as it reflects U.S. policy towards Syrian opposition groups amid ongoing conflicts.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The U.S. is monitoring the actions of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and its leadership, particularly regarding their commitments, but has no immediate plans to change their terrorist designation. John Kirby emphasized the need for observation following recent statements from the group's leaders.
- Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the UN.
- John Kirby stated that there are currently no discussions about removing the group from the U.S. terrorist list.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham emerged from al-Qaeda and has been a major force in the Syrian civil war, complicating U.S. and international responses to the conflict.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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