Canada removes Syria from list of foreign state supporters of terrorism

Canada has removed Syria from its list of foreign state sponsors of terrorism after an “extensive review,” federal ministers announced Friday, marking a major change in policy toward the Middle Eastern country.

Ottawa has also removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led a rebel takeover last year, from its list of terrorist entities under the Criminal Code, a joint statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said.

“These decisions were not taken lightly; the safety and security of Canadians will remain paramount for the Government of Canada,” the statement says.

The move marks the latest warming of relations between G7 nations and Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which brought a lengthy and brutal civil war to a dramatic close.

Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, was the leader of HTS during the civil war and was once aligned with al-Qaida, before severing ties with the group in 2016.

The Canadian terrorist designation for HTS described it as “an Islamist group in Syria whose purported primary objectives are overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria followed by the creation of an Islamic state under Sharia Law.”

Since coming to power, al-Sharaa has successfully sought to restore ties with Arab countries and the West. He has met with U.S. President Donald Trump twice this year, including at the White House in November, where Syria joined a U.S.-led global coalition to fight the Islamic State group.

The White House visit marked the first by a Syrian head of state since Syria gained independence from France in 1946.

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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 presidential elections will take place within five years.

“Canada welcomes the positive steps taken by the Syrian transitional government since the end of the Assad regime towards a peaceful Syrian-led political transition,” Anand said in Friday’s statement. “Canada stands steadfast with the people of Syria in their quest for an inclusive, stable and prosperous future.”

Anandasangaree added that Canada “will continue to closely monitor the situation in Syria and take measures against violent extremist or terrorist activity by ISIS and Al-Qaida that poses a threat to Canada, our citizens and our interests around the world.”

More to come…