Don’t Fall for the New Syrian Regime’s Claims of Moderation

Hours after the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized Damascus and sent Bashar al-Assad packing to Russia, Western politicians and pundits began contemplating the possibility of a free, moderate, inclusive, and (perhaps even) democratic Syria. Experience urges two measures of caution for every one of hope.

HTS’s rise has sparked debates over whether the group, previously aligned with ISIS and al-Qaeda, has genuinely transformed. Despite being labeled a terrorist group by the United States in 2018, HTS claims to have moderated its ideology and governing style, especially since it started ruling a piece of Idlib province in 2017.