US decides to remove HTS from terrorist organization list
The US Department of State has released a press statement signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announcing that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham will be officially removed from the list of terrorist organizations.
İHA
The statement said, "In line with President Trump's promise on May 13 to ease sanctions on Syria, I am announcing my decision to revoke the foreign terrorist organization status of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), also known as the Al-Nusra Front, under the Immigration and Nationality Act. This decision will take effect tomorrow, July 8."
The statement, which noted that this step follows the announcement of HTS's dissolution and the Syrian government's commitment to counter-terrorism in all its forms, added, "This step also maintains the momentum created by the 'Presidential Decree on the Lifting of Sanctions on Syria' dated June 30 and affirms the positive steps taken by the new Syrian government led by Syrian President Ahmed Shara. This decision to remove the group from the terrorist organization list is an important step toward realizing President Trump's vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria."
The US had included HTS on its list of foreign terrorist organizations in 2018. HTS played a key role in the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, and the former leader of HTS, Ahmed Shara, was declared the president of the transition period.
US President Donald Trump signed the presidential decree ending US sanctions on Syria last week.