Syria Poses No Threat, Rebel Leader Ahmed al-Sharaa Tells BBC
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the acting leader of Syria and head of the rebel alliance, has stated that the country is weary from years of conflict and does not threaten its neighbors or the West.
Speaking to the BBC from Damascus, al-Sharaa called for the immediate lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria, arguing that they targeted the previous regime and now harm ordinary Syrians.
“Sanctions were meant for the old regime,” he explained. “Now, after everything that has happened, they must be lifted. The oppressed and the oppressor should not be treated the same.”
Al-Sharaa, who spearheaded the rapid campaign that overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime less than two weeks ago, leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Known previously as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, he rose to prominence through the group, which initially broke away from al-Qaeda in 2016.
He urged international powers to remove HTS from their lists of terrorist organizations. Currently, the group is designated as such by the UN, US, EU, UK, and others due to its extremist roots.
Al-Sharaa firmly rejected accusations that HTS engages in terrorism, stating that they do not target civilians or residential areas. Instead, he framed HTS as victims of Assad’s brutal regime.
When questioned about his plans for Syria’s future, al-Sharaa dismissed comparisons to Afghanistan, insisting that Syria’s traditions, society, and values differ vastly. “Afghanistan is a tribal society,” he said. “Syria, on the other hand, has a different mindset altogether.”
The rebel leader also highlighted his commitment to women’s education. “For over eight years, we’ve had universities in Idlib,” he said, referencing the province controlled by rebels since 2011. “More than 60% of the students in these universities are women.”
However, al-Sharaa avoided providing direct answers on other sensitive issues, such as alcohol consumption. “These are legal matters I cannot personally decide on,” he said, adding that a constitutional committee made up of Syrian legal experts would determine such policies.
Al-Sharaa promised that future Syrian leaders would be bound by the constitution and its laws, emphasizing his intent to build a system of governance rooted in legality.
Throughout the interview, the rebel leader appeared calm and approachable, wearing civilian clothing and addressing concerns about HTS’s controversial past. Despite his assurances, skepticism remains high among Syrians, many of whom doubt his group has fully broken with its extremist roots.
As Syria’s new rulers begin to establish their governance, their actions in the coming months will reveal the true direction they plan to take for the war-torn nation.
