UK promises ‘swift’ decision on banned Syrian group

LONDON — The British government is reviewing its proscription of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) after the Islamist militant group helped sweep Syria’s Bashar al-Assad from power.

U.K. Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden promised a “relatively swift decision” on the status of the former Al-Qaeda affiliate, which is a proscribed terrorist organization in the U.K., meaning it is illegal to support or join it.

HTS is also designated as a terror group by the United States, and its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has a long history of jihadist militancy, before breaking away from Al-Qaeda and seeking to rebrand it as a nationalist force taking on Assad.

He has since adopted a conciliatory tone towards Syria’s religious minorities, including Christians, and looks set to play a key part in the post-Assad leadership of the country.

Asked about ending the proscription by Sky News on Monday, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said: “We’ll consider that. And I think it will partly depend on what happens in terms of how that group behaves now.”

McFadden stressed that the U.K. had “not made any decisions on that over the weekend,” but said of a review of the status of HTS: “I think it should be a relatively swift decision, so it’s something that will have to be considered quite quickly, given the speed of the situation on the ground.”

The U.K. minister suggested al-Jolani’s rhetoric since rebels’ victory over Assad this weekend had given some cause for optimism. “He is saying some of the right things about the protection of minorities, about respecting people’s rights so we will look at that in the days to come.”

He added: “We hope that’s true, but right now it’s such a fast-moving situation that I think anybody who told you they were sure of what would happen next, well I wouldn’t be too confident about that.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is in the Middle East on a visit designed to drum up trade and investment, expressed support for Assad’s fall Sunday evening, hailing the end of a “barbaric regime.”

But he cautioned: “What we must also ensure is the rejection of terrorism and violence, and that civilians are protected, minorities are protected, and that can only be through a political process.” 

Former MI6 Chief John Sawers said Sunday that the U.K. should reconsider the proscription of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

“Certainly, the actions we’ve seen of Tahrir al-Sham over the last two weeks have been those of a liberation movement, not of a terrorist organization,” he told Sky News.

“It would be rather ridiculous, actually, if we’re unable to engage with the new leadership in Syria because of a proscription dating back 12 years,” he said.