The Islamist group at the heart of the Syrian revolution could be removed from the UK’s terrorist list to allow ministers to talk to its leaders.
The Home Office was last night considering whether to lift the ban on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has emerged as the leading player in the removal of tyrant Bashar al-Assad.
The move would allow ministers and officials to engage with the group and its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
HTS was designated as a terrorist group in 2017. At the time the Home Office declared it to be ‘an alias of Al Qaeda’.
But in a rare statement on the issue last night, the Home Office said the group’s relationship with the terror organisation founded by Osama bin Laden ‘has changed’.
A spokesman said there had been ‘a splintering between the two organisations’ in recent years.
The spokesman added: ‘The situation on the ground in Syria is very fluid. The priority must be the safety of Syrian civilians and securing a political solution to the unfolding events.’
The move came after former MI6 chief Sir John Sawers said HTS appeared to be acting as a ‘liberation movement’ and should be removed from the terrorist list.
Sir John said it would be ‘ridiculous’ if ministers were barred from engaging with a major power broker in Syria because of the group’s history.
He told Sky News: ‘When I was chief of MI6, ten or 12 years ago, we looked at all of these Syrian opposition
groups and classified them into those that we could support and those who were beyond the pale and too close to Al Qaeda, and HTS was definitely in the latter category.
‘But I think Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader, has made great efforts over the last ten years to distance himself from those terrorist groups and certainly the actions we’ve seen of HTS over the last two weeks has been those of a liberation movement, not of a terrorist organisation.
‘I think the Home Secretary will be asking MI5 and the joint terrorism assessment centre for a review of the situation about HTS and whether it should remain on the proscribed entity list.
‘It would be rather ridiculous, actually, if we’re unable to engage with the new leadership in Syria because of a proscription dating back 12 years.’
HTS is designated as a terrorist group by the United States and several other Western allies. The hardline Islamist group has faced concerns over human rights in areas it controls, including alleged executions of people accused of blasphemy and adultery.
The group’s founder Jolani was previously involved as a jihadi fighter in Iraq as a member of the group which became Islamic State.
Sir Keir Starmer last night embarked on a two-day trip to the Gulf which is now set to be dominated by the fallout from the collapse of the Assad regime.
The Prime Minister will visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for the first time to promote trade and investment ties as part of the Government’s mission to boost economic growth. But sources acknowledged that trade issues are likely to be overtaken by the urgent need to stabilise the situation in Syria and contain the fallout to the wider region.
The Home Office said it did not comment on whether groups were being considered for removal from the official list of terror groups.