The de facto chief of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has mentioned the nation is exhausted by battle and isn’t a menace to its neighbours or to the West.
In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, he known as for sanctions on Syria to be lifted.
Sharaa led the lightning offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime lower than two weeks in the past. He’s the chief of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant group within the insurgent alliance, and was beforehand recognized by his wartime pseudonym of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
He mentioned HTS needs to be de-listed as a terrorist organisation. It’s designated as one by the UN, US, EU and UK, amongst many others, because it began as a splinter group of al-Qaeda, which it broke away from in 2016.
Sharaa mentioned HTS was not a terrorist group.
They didn’t goal civilians or civilian areas, he mentioned. The truth is, they thought-about themselves to be sufferer of the crimes of the Assad regime. The victims, he mentioned, shouldn’t be handled the identical approach because the oppressors.
He denied that he wished to show Syria right into a model of Afghanistan.
Sharaa mentioned the international locations have been very totally different, with totally different traditions. Afghanistan was a tribal society. In Syria, he mentioned, there was a special mindset. He mentioned he believed in schooling for ladies.
Sharaa was relaxed all through the interview, carrying civilian garments, and tried to supply reassurance to all those that consider his group has not damaged with its extremist previous.
Many Syrians don’t consider him.
The actions of Syria’s new rulers within the subsequent few months will point out the type of nation they need Syria to be – and the best way they need to rule it.