by Stefano Piazza
A few days ago for the first time since he took power in Syria Ahmed Al Sharaa – Abu Mohammad al-Julani, showed himself together with the one who is believed to be his wife. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria, is a very secretive figure regarding his personal life so much so that there is no publicly available or confirmed information regarding the name or identity of his wife who yesterday appeared next to her husband wearing the abaya (a kind of burka once widely used in Saudi Arabia) , niqab and strictly black gloves.
The only concession was a green bag with an attached green scarf over the niqab. Bashar Assad ‘s regime was certainly monstrous but we have no guarantee that the one that replaced it is any better as shown by the summary executions of those deemed close to the past regime and the way Ahmed Al Sharaa himself treats women. Last Jan. 4, Syria’s new master first refused to shake hands with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and then even blurted her out in the official photo with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. Despite the bad signals that continue to come from Damascus Al -Sharaa continues to meet with Western political figures all convinced that this cutthroat has become “a pragmatic Islamist moderate.”
The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in a few weeks has accomplished a real masterpiece: in a few days he took Syria by ousting Bashar Assad who had to flee overnight to Moscow before he was hanged, he convinced the Americans to remove the ten million dollar bounty that was on his head, he met with a whole series of Western politicians elated to have met with him as seen in the photos coming from Syria. But that is not all because “the moderate Islamist pragmatist” has literally bewitched the European Union, which is preparing the groundwork for a possible large-scale lifting of sanctions on Syria, including key sectors such as transportation, energy (oil and gas), and financial and banking activities, according to an informal document viewed by Euronews. T
he document, known as a non-paper and used for confidential negotiations among member states, specifies that the possible removal of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups such as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (Hts) from the list of terrorist organizations would require a UN Security Council decision before being implemented by the EU. “This will depend on our joint assessment of the Hts entity, its leader Al-Sharaa and the evolution of the situation on the ground in Syria,” the document reads. Pending the gift on EU and U.S. sanctions, EU Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, a few days ago announced the allocation of a 235 million euro aid package for Syria before leaving for a visit to the country.
“We need to ensure a peaceful and inclusive transition, that is my main request. We hope to see a change that allows Syrians to be recognized in their great diversity, we don’t want an Assad 2.0,” she explained in an interview with international media, including ANSA. Hadja Lahbib arrived in Damascus on Friday and after her meeting with Al-Sharaa on X wrote:” I had a courteous and in-depth meeting with Syrian leader Al-Sharaa on the geopolitical situation in Syria and the border region. I am in Syria with a clear message. The future of Syria belongs to all Syrians. I will take back to the EU ministers the reassuring messages I have heard from the authorities.” What about the failure to shake hands with Annalena Baerbock?
For Hadja Lahbib it is not a problem : “It is important to respect cultures, but it is a detail, what matters is the expected change.” During Lahbib ‘s visit there were no incidents, according to his entourage. There were no handshakes, either with men or women. The end of Assad ‘s rule represents a crucial turning point for Syria, potentially opening a new chapter of hope for more than 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the country. However, the uncertainty surrounding the future makes it difficult to predict whether this new phase will finally allow Syrians to rebuild their lives.
Prior to the latest recent escalation, Syria already had the second largest displacement crisis in the world, with more than 14 million people forced from their homes. More than 7 million Syrians remain internally displaced, a third of the total population, and today 90 percent of Syrians live in poverty and humanitarian needs are at an all-time high. The International Rescue Committee‘s (IRC)Emergency Watchlist , warns that despite reassurances from Al -Sharaa ” the conflict between non-state armed groups could re-explode, while the involvement of external actors risks further complicating the situation. Although recent clashes in the northwest appear to have subsided, tensions and insecurity remain in the northeast of the country.”
Finally, the French presidency in a statement disclosed that following a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , French President Emmanuel Macron organized a conference on Syria in Paris on Feb. 13. Finally, as we write the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, has announced, “ The time has come to revive relations between the European Union and Syria. This implies, at least for now, an approach geared toward a gradual easing of the sanctions that have been in place against Damascus for more than a decade, and the first decisions will be taken on Monday, during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.” According to a senior European official, on January 27, the foreign ministers of the member states could reach a political agreement to suspend some sectoral sanctions. This would be, more precisely, a temporary suspension, as Brussels is reportedly considering the introduction of “a back-up mechanism,” which would allow for the reintroduction of restrictive measures should the new course of post-Assad Syria take “ an inappropriate direction. ‘During a press conference in Ankara, held together with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Kallas summarized the European position as follows, ’Our goal is to support the economic recovery of the Syrian people. The European Union is ready to ease sanctions against Syria, subject to actions taken by the new government.”