Syria is not a threat to the world, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells the BBC

The leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said that the country is tired of war and is not a threat to its neighbors or the West.

In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, he called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria.

Sharaa led the coup that overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad less than two weeks ago. He is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the leading group in the rebel coalition, and was previously known by his wartime name of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.

He said that HTS should be removed from the terrorist organization list. It has been singled out by the UN, the US, the EU and the UK, among many others, as it began as a splinter group of al-Qaeda, from which it split in 2016.

Sharaa said that HTS is not a terrorist group.

They did not target civilians or common areas, he said. In fact, they considered themselves victims of the Assad regime’s crimes. He said that the victims should not be treated in the same way as the oppressors.

He denied that he wanted to turn Syria into Afghanistan.

Sharaa said that the countries are very different, with different cultures. Afghanistan was a confederation of nations. In Syria, he said, there was a different mindset. He said he believes in women’s education.

Sharaa was comfortable throughout the interview, wearing casual clothes, and tried to give reassurance to all those who believe that her group has not separated from its extreme era.

Many Syrians do not believe him.

The actions of Syria’s new rulers in the next few months will show the kind of country they want Syria to be – and how they want to govern it.