Syria ‘too tired for conflict with Israel’ says new leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani as US, UK make contact
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani vows to seek diplomatic rather than military solutions to the country’s crises as London, Washington and Qatar establish contact with his rebel group.
Syria’s new leader has said the country is too tired of conflict to challenge Israel in his first public remarks about the country’s future after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani — now referring to himself by his real name, Ahmed al-Shara, told Syrian television on Sunday (local time) that he would seek diplomatic rather than military solutions to the country’s numerous crises.
Mr Jolani spoke as both the UK and US established diplomatic contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group Mr Jolani leads.
On Sunday British Foreign Minister David Lammy said HTS remain “a proscribed terrorist organisation, but we can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact, as you would expect”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also confirmed Washington is in direct contact with HTS and is communicating their hope that a transitional government can quickly establish security and prevent the country from descending into chaos.
Mr Blinken, in the region to build support for Syria’s future, told reporters: “Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties.
“Our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.”
In his televised speech, Mr Jolani tried to play down fears that under HTS Syria would become a new source of regional instability, although he said Israel had “crossed the line” with airstrikes that have been targeting regime military facilities since Assad fled to Moscow.
“Israeli arguments have become weak and no longer justify their recent violations,” he said. “The Israelis have clearly crossed the lines of engagement in Syria, which poses a threat of unwarranted escalation in the region.”
However, he added: “Syria’s war-weary condition, after years of conflict and war, does not allow for new confrontations. The priority at this stage is reconstruction and stability, not being drawn into disputes that could lead to further destruction.”
A delegation from Qatar, another western-aligned state, arrived in Syria late Sunday (local time) and met with officials in the transitional government.
The diplomatic delegation “arrived in Damascus to complete the necessary procedures for the opening of Qatar’s embassy” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said in a statement.
However Russia’s foreign ministry said it has evacuated some of its diplomatic staff from the country.
“On December 15, the withdrawal of part of the personnel of the Russian (diplomatic) representation in Damascus was carried out by a special flight of the Russian Air Force from the Hmeimim air base” in Syria, the ministry’s crisis situations department said on Telegram.
The ministry said the flight arrived at an airport near Moscow, without specifying how many people were aboard.
The flight also carried members from the diplomatic missions of Belarus, North Korea and Abkhazia, a Moscow-backed separatist region of Georgia, the department said.
“The Russian embassy in Damascus continues to function”, said the press release published on Telegram.
AFP
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