Syrian President Removed from US Terrorist List

Washington has officially removed the name of the current Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara from the US terrorist list. The US State Department confirmed the matter in an announcement on Friday (November 7). The decision is being seen as a significant diplomatic step ahead of President Shara's upcoming visit to the US.

The State Department's announcement said that in the coming days, Syria and the government led by Ahmed al-Shara will develop cooperative relations with the US. The US hopes that this change will lead to stability and improvement in the human rights situation in Syria.

Ahmed al-Shara was once an associate organizer of Al-Qaeda. He later broke away from Al-Qaeda and formed a new armed group called 'Hayat Tahrir al-Sham' (HTS). In December 2024, HTS under his leadership overthrew the government of Bashar al-Assad and took control of the capital Damascus, and Shara took office as the new president.

The civil war in Syria, which began in 2011, ended in 2024 with the fall of Bashar al-Assad after 13 years. At that time, the United States listed Ahmed al-Sharaa as a terrorist.

During the civil war, the United States and the UN Security Council imposed multiple sanctions on Syria. However, the sanctions were lifted in a Security Council vote on Thursday, which was adopted by the United States.

The United States removed President Sharaa's name from the terrorist list a day after the sanctions were lifted.

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement,

"Syria has been subjected to repression at the hands of the Assad family for more than half a century. The current leadership has brought the country out of that dark chapter. This decision was taken as part of providing international recognition to the new leadership."

Analysts say the move will play a role in creating a new diplomatic balance in the Middle East. At the same time, it is also seen as a signal of the reestablishment of US influence in Syria.

Source: AFP