AhlulBayt News Agency: Britain has officially re-established full diplomatic relations with Syria, more than a decade after severing ties during the Western-backed conflict. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with Syria’s de facto leader, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, in Damascus—marking a dramatic and controversial shift in British foreign policy.
This move comes despite widespread reports of war crimes and repression under the current Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime, particularly targeting minority groups like the Alawites. A Reuters investigation revealed that HTS-linked fighters were involved in mass killings of Alawite civilians on Syria’s coast in March, with nearly 1,500 deaths reported across 40 locations.
The report found HTS fighters responsible for atrocities at at least 10 sites, where nearly 900 people were killed. Jolani, a former al-Qaeda affiliate leader, had previously made sectarian threats against Alawites in a 2015 interview with Al Jazeera.
The UK originally cut ties with Syria in 2011 amid the government’s crackdown on foreign-backed insurgents. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024—toppled by a coalition led by Jolani—Britain began easing sanctions and re-engaging diplomatically.
Lammy defended the renewed ties as a step toward stabilizing Syria, curbing irregular migration, combating terrorism, and eliminating chemical weapons. However, critics argue that the move legitimizes a regime with deep ties to extremist groups like al-Qaeda and Daesh.
Despite these concerns, the UK has pledged over $129 million in aid to support Syria’s reconstruction. Critics say this overlooks the broader context of Western intervention and the role of foreign-backed militants in Syria’s devastation.
The UK’s policy shift mirrors that of the United States, which is also lifting sanctions and preparing to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Reports suggest U.S. conditions include normalization with Israel and expelling Palestinian resistance groups.
During a May visit to Riyadh, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Jolani, praising him as a “young attractive guy” and a “fighter” with a “very strong past.” He later signed an executive order lifting most U.S. sanctions on Syria.
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