Canada removes Syria from list of foreign state sponsors of terrorism – nationally
Canada has removed Syria from its list of foreign sponsors of terrorism after a “comprehensive” review, federal officials announced Friday, marking a major change in the Middle East.
Ottawa is also removing Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the Rebellion last year, from its list of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code, said a joint statement by Foreign Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangareee and the Minister of Public Security.
“These decisions were not taken lightly; the safety and security of Canadians will remain a top priority for the Canadian government,” the statement said.
The move marks the latest warming of relations between the G7 Nations and Syria following the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, which brought a long and brutal war to a close.
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The new president of Syria, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, was the leader of HTS during the civil war and was once aligned with al-Qaida, before breaking ties with the group in 2016.
The Canadian terrorist group HTS described it as “an Islamic group in Syria that is a cover for the first one that has carried President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in Syria which is followed by Islamic law under Sharia law.”
Since coming to power, Al-Sharaa has successfully sought to restore ties with Arab countries and the West. He met with US President Donald Trump twice this year, including at the White House in November, where Syria joined the global coalition to fight the Islamic group.
The visit to the White House marked the first by the Syrian head of state since Syria gained independence from France in 1946.
The United States and the United Kingdom lifted their own terrorism designations for both Syria and HTS earlier this year, while Trump and the United Nations Security Council have begun to remove some of the sanctions placed on the country.
Syria held its first parliamentary elections under the new government this fall, and Al-Sharaa has promised that presidential elections will take place within five years.
“Canada welcomes the positive steps taken by the government of the Syrian Transitional Council since the end of the Assad regime in the political transition of Syria,” Anand said in a statement on Friday. “Canada stands firmly with the people of Syria in their quest for an inclusive, stable and prosperous future.”
Anandasangaree added that Canada “will continue to monitor the situation in Syria and take action against violent or terrorist activity by Isis and Al-Qaida that harms Canada, our citizens and our interests around the world.”
More to come…
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