Dr Neil Quilliam
The dramatic collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime following an offensive led by Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces has presented Syria with a pivotal opportunity for change. Although the political transition must be Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, the international community – meaning here the US, EU, Turkey, Jordan and Gulf Arab states – must step up and offer support as Syria passes through a new challenging phase.
There is neither time nor space for handwringing or standing back and watching events unfold – crowing from the sidelines helps nobody. Too many lives have been lost, and too many Syrians have become displaced or refugees because of indifference.
What happens next will not only determine Syria’s future but will affect the Middle East region and have repercussions on the emerging world order. The US, EU, Turkey and Gulf Arab states must engage immediately with the emerging transitional government and help ensure that it represents a coalition of all Syrian parties and groups.
That will mean dealing with the proscribed group HTS. This will prove challenging at the outset, but failure to recognize the group’s role in the overthrow of Assad and its popularity among a segment of Syrian society will only alienate and radicalize its leadership and supporters.
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