Despite attempt at makeover, Syria’s HTS remains on US terror list
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been trying to present itself as a moderate group seeking to have its name removed from the international terrorist list, but these attempts are failing after the United States recently designated it among the "Entities of Particular Concern."
IDLIB, Syria — In a Dec. 7 report on international religious freedoms, the United States designated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as being among “Entities of Particular Concern” over its abuses of human rights.
In 2018, HTS was designated by the United States as a terrorist organization with the UN Security Council including it as a sanctioned entity linked to the Islamic State, al‑Qaeda, and associated individuals and groups.
This new US designation shattered HTS’ hopes of having its name removed from the international terrorist lists, despite all the steps that it had taken to improve its image on the international level. The US decision comes a few days after the US State Department’s announcement of offering a financial reward of up to $10 million for information related to HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani.
The US Department of State’s Reward for Justice Program said in a Nov. 24 tweet that the State Department is looking for information about Golani’s whereabouts.
