The News
US officials on Monday loosened sanctions on Syria, easing the flow of aid into the war-torn country, but Washington is expected to maintain a terrorism designation on the group that makes up the new government.
The move reflects Western unease over Hayat Tahir al-Sham, which spurred the offensive that unseated dictator Bashar al-Assad. The group has professed support for pluralism, democracy, and minority rights, but its background as an offshoot of al-Qaida has stirred concerns.
Recent developments have done little to allay those fears: The ruling authorities have appointed foreign Islamist fighters to senior military positions, activists have accused officials of imposing a religiously conservative curriculum in schools, and diplomats have counselled Syria’s new rulers to be gracious to the country’s ex-leaders as fighters launched an offensive on a former Assad stronghold.
