The UN is at present debating find out how to present help to the Islamic extremist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has seized management of a lot of Syria.
Final 12 months, U.S. taxpayers contributed over $10 billion to the UN, and now a few of these funds danger being diverted to a terrorist group actively opposing the U.S.-backed Kurds of their combat towards ISIS.
This not solely undermines U.S. international coverage within the area but additionally immediately advantages HTS in its battle with Kurdish forces.
Furthermore, it lends legitimacy to HTS, particularly because the Biden administration has eliminated the bounty on the group’s chief, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani (aka Ahmed al-Sharaa).
The EU has despatched representatives to satisfy with him, seemingly taking step one towards recognizing him because the official head of state.
Final 12 months, U.S. taxpayers contributed over $10 billion to the UN, and now a few of that cash could also be diverted to HTS, a bunch in direct battle with the U.S.-backed Kurds, who’re key allies within the ongoing combat towards ISIS.
This not solely undermines U.S. international coverage within the area but additionally creates a chance for ISIS to regain power whereas channeling funds to a terrorist group.
“The Christians and the Kurds are fairly scared,” reported a Free Burma Rangers (FBR) workforce chief at present on the bottom in Syria.
He famous that heavy combating has continued between Turkish-backed forces and the Kurds.
“We don’t know the way it’s going to end up,” he added, highlighting the uncertainty and pressure within the area.
He went on to elucidate that talks between HTS and “Mazloum,” or “Mazloum Abdi,” the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), are ongoing.
In the meantime, the Kurds proceed to combat towards the Syrian Nationwide Military (SNA), one other Islamic militant group that has seized management of elements of the nation.
The FBR workforce chief famous that whereas peace can be ideally suited, “something that weakens the SNA and Turkish positions is an efficient factor for the Kurds and a superb factor for stability.”
Though HTS and the Kurds are engaged in negotiations, it stays extremely imprudent for the West to acknowledge or present funding to HTS.
The prospect of the United Nations (UN) or different worldwide our bodies not directly supporting the group below the guise of humanitarian help is deeply regarding.
Such funding dangers empowering HTS to consolidate its energy, perpetuate violence, and additional marginalize minorities, immediately undermining the ideas of neutral and inclusive help.
Given HTS’s designation as a terrorist group below worldwide sanctions, offering direct help to the group would doubtless represent a transparent violation of worldwide regulation.
On the identical time, the humanitarian disaster in Syria is simple, with greater than half of the population displaced and other people on the bottom in determined want of help.
A United Nations Safety Council (UNSC) decision, akin to 2664 (2022), might probably ease sanctions to permit funding for humanitarian help.
Nevertheless, there isn’t any assure that such funding wouldn’t fall into the fingers of HTS. A good portion of this funding would come from U.S. taxpayers.
In 2023, the U.S. was assessed to cover 22% of the UN’s common funds, which funds administrative prices and core applications, and 27% of its peacekeeping funds.
Past these obligatory contributions, the U.S. additionally supplies substantial voluntary funding to varied UN companies and initiatives, together with humanitarian help.
As an illustration, in 2024, the U.S. contributed over $10 billion, representing almost half of the funds obtained for UN help appeals.
Aside from potential UN funding, HTS has a number of established income sources. Initially, the jihadist movement relied on conventional militant techniques akin to extortion and oil smuggling.
Right now, it generates vital earnings by taxation inside its stronghold in Idlib and from border crossings with Turkey, together with the Bab al-Hawa crossing, which alone brings in as much as $15 million month-to-month.
Moreover, HTS has captured and manufactured its personal weapons, together with drones, a few of which can have been reverse-engineered utilizing prototypes sourced from exterior Syria, probably together with Ukraine.
Consultants counsel that HTS is looking for legitimacy and sources to rebuild Syria whereas sustaining its independence from conventional state actors, marking a major shift in its operational mannequin since its al-Qaeda affiliation and rebranding in 2017.
Nevertheless, recognizing HTS as a governing authority would endanger ethnic minorities and fail to handle the grievances of a lot of the inhabitants, who’re already protesting towards its rule.
Public discontent over poor infrastructure, excessive taxation, and insufficient governance below HTS has fueled widespread tensions inside its quasi-state administration.
Sadly, the Western world, notably the UN, usually opts for the trail of least resistance by recognizing despots who seize management as a fast technique of “stabilizing” conditions.
Such an strategy, if utilized to HTS, would doubtless exacerbate instability, perpetuate assaults on Kurdish forces by Turkey-backed teams, and speed up the continuing resurgence of ISIS.
