Five months of HTS rule in Syria: Oppression, massacres, and repression

Five months of HTS rule in Syria: Oppression, massacres, and repression

HTS is imposing a sharia regime, silencing the population through sectarian policies, and targeting women and minorities. On December 8, 2024, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew the 61-year-old Baath regime by capturing Damascus through its so-called “Deterrence of Aggression Operation,” launched on November 27, 2024. On the day Damascus fell, HTS leader Al-Jolani (Ahmed Al-Sharaa) delivered a speech at the Umayyad Mosque, promising “coexiste…

Can the West Stop Propping Up Dictators?

The West is quick to support “resistance fighters” without considering the immediate, deadly consequences. The enemy of your enemy… is not your friend. In December of 2024, former President Joe Biden applauded the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria as a “fundamental act of justice,” and looked forward to working with the new regime to “build a better future for their country.” With Abu Mohammad al-Jolani seizing control and forming a …