DUBAI: The West has no reason to fear Syria following the ousting of Bashar Assad’s regime, Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, leader of the group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), told Sky News on Wednesday.
In his first interview with a Western outlet since Assad fled, Al-Golani insisted that Syria is on a path to stability.
“The fear stemmed from the regime’s presence. Syria is now on a path toward development, reconstruction, and stability,” he said during an interview in Damascus with Sky News’ international news editor, Zein Jaafar, and Middle East producer, Celine Al-Khaldi.
Golani, a former member of the Daesh of Iraq who previously led Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria before severing ties in 2016, is now trying to present himself as a more moderate leader. However, HTS remains designated as a terrorist organization by the UN, US, UK, and other nations.
Despite his reassurances, HTS’s rapid rise to power has fueled fears among Syria’s minorities, including Kurds, Alawites, and Christians.
“The country isn’t ready for another war, nor will it enter one,” Golani stated, emphasizing that Syrians are weary from years of conflict.
He also described the removal of Iranian militias, Hezbollah, and Assad’s regime as essential for Syria’s recovery. “Their absence is the solution. The current situation rules out a return to panic,” he said.
Golani praised his fighters, claiming they took charge of Syria without any foreign support or interference. In a pointed reference to Russian and Iranian backing of the Assad regime, he said all former “colonizers” had failed to control the country.
