Trump eases sanctions on HTS amid report of Israeli expansion in Syria's Quneitra

from PressTV

... On June 29, the United States lifted most sanctions on the Arab country, citing alleged reforms under the head of the HTS-led regime in Syria, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, whose administration reportedly agreed to normalize ties with Israel and expel Palestinian factions.

As part of the executive order, the US president also ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review the designation of the HTS leader and Jolani as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”

During a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May, Trump initially revealed his intention to lift sanctions that had crippled Syria’s economy for over a decade and driven more than 90 percent of its population into poverty.

Based on Western media reports last month, the US government’s conditions to lift sanctions against Syria included normalizing relations with Israel through signing the Abraham Accords and expelling Palestinian resistance factions from the country.

Washington has imposed sanctions on Syria since 1979 in response to its foreign policy stance against Israel.

The executive order was scheduled to take effect on July 1...

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The IMF Would Not Work with Assad but they have No Problem Working With al Qaeda

by Scott Creighton

Every now and again we get a little glimpse into the way the world really works. A peek past the propaganda and thru the smoke screens reveals the IMF willing to work with al Qaeda terrorists we installed in Syria... when they refused to work with Bashar al Assad, the elected leader of the Syrian people.

Anyone remember 9/11?  

It's a kinder, gentler al Qaeda.

Anyone remember al Qaeda killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq?

I must be a dinosaur.  

BTW... Saudi Arabia and Qatar just paid Syria's outstanding IMF bill of $15 million dollars so they can get a nice clean slate and those 'radical Islamists' of the al Qaeda government in Syria will be free to take out more money... from the evil capitalists of the 'Great Satan'

'An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation visited Syria for the first time in 15 years, signaling renewed engagement with the war-torn nation following the fall of Bashar Assad and years of devastating conflict, the IMF said Tuesday... 

In April, Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced they would jointly settle Syria’s $15 million debt to the World Bank. The move paves the way for renewed World Bank operations in the country, which were suspended at the start of the war.' Daily Sabah

Blows your mind doesn't it?

Syria responds to US demands, says will not be threat to 'Israel'

(So our al Qaeda government in Syria is now going to promise to play nice and let Glorious Israel steal all the land they need for the Greater Israel project... but also... America has promised to use U.S. soldiers and material... to DEFEND AL QAEDA AND KEEP THE SYRIAN ARAB ARMY FROM RETAKING THE COUNTRY. We are, once again, defending al Qaeda.)

from al Mayadeen English

... However, the letter was less forthcoming on other critical points, including the removal of foreign fighters in Syria and granting the US permission to conduct counterterrorism strikes.

The letter indicated that discussions had been held with former US envoy Daniel Rubinstein regarding foreign fighters but described the matter as needing “broader consultative sessions.” It noted that military promotions for foreign fighters had been suspended but did not confirm whether previous appointments had been revoked.

Syria also addressed concerns about Palestinian factions operating within its territory. The letter stated that a committee had been formed to monitor these groups and assured that armed factions outside of state control would not be tolerated. Notably, Syria pledged not to allow its territory to become a source of threat to any party, “including Israel.”

On 'counterterrorism', Syria’s position was that any such cooperation “requires mutual understandings.” The letter affirmed that the interim government would not permit threats to US or Western interests, but stopped short of committing to specific actions.

Syria expressed a willingness to engage further with Washington, suggesting that the steps taken could lead to detailed discussions about lifting sanctions and reopening embassies. The letter, sent on April 14, arrived shortly before Shibani traveled to New York, where he was expected to discuss the response with US officials.

The document proposed ongoing dialogue about coordinating anti-extremist efforts without directly authorizing US strikes, a sensitive issue given past foreign military interventions.

The letter acknowledged existing communication between Syrian counterterrorism officials and US representatives in Amman, revealing previously unreported direct contact aimed at combating ISIS elements. Syria indicated it was open to expanding this collaboration under mutually agreed-upon terms...

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Scores of Syria Alawites killed as HTS sectarian violence continues

from PressTV

The forces of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) administration have killed at least 42 Alawites during the past two weeks, a month after the massacre of approximately 1,700 members of the religious minority in Syria's coastal areas.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that since the end of Ramadan on March 30, 42 Syrian Alawites lost their lives due to sectarian violence, with incidents occurring from Latakia to Tartus and extending inland to Homs.

Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the SOHR, noted that while the scale of the violence has shifted to individual acts, the killings have not ceased. "The killings did not stop, but now they are individual acts," he stated, highlighting the persisting threat to the minority community.

Syria’s de-facto leader, former al-Qaeda in Iraq commander Abu Mohammad al-Julani has attempted to justify these brutal acts as "mistakes" occurring during a counterinsurgency operation against what his administration refers to as the "remnants” of the ousted Bashar al-Assad government.

However, Alawites in the affected areas express deep fear and confusion regarding this narrative, feeling increasingly isolated and targeted...

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An Al Qaeda genocide in Syria and the West is silent (Vanessa Beeley)

from Vanessa Beeley

 

Peace with Israel Tops the Agenda for Syria’s New Leaders

from Mint Press News

It is not just isolated voices advocating for normalization; the new Syrian government and its backers appear determined to establish ties with Israel, even as Israel continues its occupation of Syrian territory and the bombardment of what remains of its infrastructure. While apologists attempt to justify Damascus’s Israel-friendly comments, the writing on the wall has long been clear.

The new Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) backed Mayor of Damascus, Maher Marwan, stirred controversy last week when he called for normalization with Israel. Even though Damascus, the city he now governs, endures frequent Israeli airstrikes, Marwan defended his stance in an interview with NPR. “Our problem is not with Israel,” he stated, adding, “We don’t want to meddle in anything that will threaten Israel’s security.”

Following widespread public backlash, the HTS-led government in Damascus released a statement addressing Marwan’s remarks. The statement proclaimed that Marwan’s comments didn’t necessarily reflect the policies of the al-Jolani government, but it stopped short of explicitly denying his call for normalization with Israel.

The sentiments expressed by Marwan are consistent with those of Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Shara’a, known more commonly by his ISIS-associated moniker, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Al-Jolani once said that Syrian territory must not be used as a launching pad for conflict with Israel. He emphasized, “We do not want any conflict, whether with Israel or anyone else.”...

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