We reported earlier that Russia is in contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus over the future fate of the two Russian military bases on Syria's coast. The Tartous Naval Base remains Russia's only Mediterranean military port. And alongside Khmeimim Air Base, these are the only two major Russian military outposts outside of the former Soviet Union.
As expected, the West is pressuring the jihadist group under Abu Mohammed al-Jolani to ensure Russia's military is booted from the country. What's more is that European countries are using the question of Syria's continued economic isolation as leverage.
And the West is also dangling the terror designation in front of HTS. "Some European nations are considering making the expulsion of Russia’s military from Syria a precondition for lifting restrictions against the Islamist group now in control of most of the country, according to people familiar with the matter," The Straits Times reports.
The report comes as the Biden White House is also mulling the matter of whether to drop its formal terror designation against HTS, which began years ago as Al-Nusra Front, or Syrian al-Qaeda.
The West seems to be saying that if HTS merely does what it wants, all can be 'forgiven'. Per the same report:
A debate is also underway about whether to make the delivery of longer-term aid to the war-ravaged nation conditional on Moscow vacating its two Syrian bases, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive material. The talks are ongoing and a joint final decision has yet to be taken, they said.
The conferring between countries is a sign of broader international support for the position taken by Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who said it would be “too early” to lift European Union sanctions against Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS, which ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a little over a week ago.
"We really would like to condition that on an inclusive political transition," Veldkamp also said. The West has been urging HTS to respect ethnic and religious minorities, given that it has been known to massacre and persecute Alawites, Christians, Druze, Shia, or anyone who is not an extremist Sunni.
The Dutch foreign minister emphasized, "I think it’s also important to look at conditionality regarding the Russian military bases in Syria." He's emphatic that "We want the Russians out."
The West is turning a blind eye to the ground reality that Syria will go from quasi-secular state under Baath rule to rapid hardline Islamization...
It is disgraceful for an institution like the U.N. to bow to the leader of HTS and require the women in this delegation to cover their hair. This represents a betrayal of women and sends a dangerous message that the U.N. is willing to legitimize the Islamization of the state. pic.twitter.com/VkWUoaCm0w
— Greco-Levantines World Wide (@GrecoLevantines) December 16, 2024
Thus it appears the West is lining up to court the terrorists in Damascus... or as we described earlier this is all about putting lipstick on a pig - at the end of which Jolani and HTS will be sold to the European and Americans as a "moderate". And for Europe, this arrangement will also help deal a blow to Russia related to the Ukraine war.
