Sir Keir Starmer says there is no decision pending on removing Syrian rebel group from banned list

Sir Keir Starmer has said it is “too early” to decide whether to remove a leading Syrian rebel group from the government’s proscribed terrorist list following its victory over Bashar al Assad’s forces.

The prime minister said “no decision is pending on this” when asked about the potential move following the defeat Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) inflicted on the decades-long Assad regime.

It comes after Sir Keir announced a further £11m in humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable in Syria following the events over the weekend, including the hundreds of thousands who have been displaced in the conflict.

Alongside the US and other Western allies, the UK is currently considering whether to remove HTS, the rebel group that led the successful offensive against Mr Assad, from its proscribed list of terrorist organisations.

HTS used to be a wing of al Qaeda known as the Nusra Front and has long been designated a terrorist group by the US, UK and Russia.

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Its founder, Abu Mohammed al Jolani, cut ties with al Qaeda in 2016 in an effort to appear moderate and in 2021 he said he had no desire to wage war against Western countries.

On Monday Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the UK government would “consider” removing the group from its list of banned terror organisations and suggested this could be done quickly.

But speaking from Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the prime minister said: “No decision is pending at all on this.

“It is far too early. At the moment, the focus has to be on talking to our allies, making sure that this is an opportunity for Syria.”

He was echoed by David Lammy, the foreign secretary, who said the government would “judge HTS by their actions”.

In an update to MPs, he said: “Thus far, HTS has offered reassurances to minorities in Aleppo, Hama and Damascus.

“They have also committed to cooperating with the international community over monitoring chemical weapons.

“We will judge HTS by their actions, monitoring closely how they and other parties to this conflict treat all civilians in areas they control.”

He added: “The UK and our allies have spent over a decade combating terrorism in Syria, Daesh [Isis] remains one of the most significant terrorist threats to the UK our allies and our interests overseas, we take seriously our duty as government to protect the public from this and other terrorist threats.”

“If we are to achieve a better future for Syrians, we should let Syrians themselves determine their future,” he added.

Mr Lammy also pointed to £36m in funding for the National Crime Agency on anti-corruption, which was announced earlier today, adding: “Illicit finance was a fundamental part of Assad’s playbook, and it’s a part of [Vladimir] Putin’s playbook and the playbook of dictators and criminals around the world.

“This hurts ordinary people in our own country and people in Syria. It drives up crime, and it drives up house prices here in the UK.”

Earlier, Sir Keir – who has been visiting the Middle East to shore up ties and encourage investment – promised that the UK would play a more active role in the region for the advantage of people in Britain.

“From cutting the cost of living for hardworking British people, to building resilient supply chains or supporting communities in Britain, what happens in the Middle East matters at home,” he said.

“That is why we are strengthening our defence partnership with Saudi Arabia, protecting the most vulnerable in Syria, supporting our partners in Lebanon and working with the international community to push for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, secure the return of all hostages and accelerate aid into Gaza.

“To deliver on my plan for change, we need a strong foundation of security but that cannot just be built at home, it requires us to play our part on the world stage to support stability and protect partners from threats, both now and in the future.”

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As well as vowing to play a more active role in the region, the prime minister said the UK would also seek to strengthen defence co-operation with Saudi Arabia.

The UK will also provide the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), regarded as the only legitimate military force in Lebanon, with training and equipment in order to maintain the ceasefire agreed with Israel.