The Washington Post: The US shared classified information with the new leaders of Syria

According to RCO News Agency, according to these officials, the American warnings through the communication channel with “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” helped preve ISIS’ plan to target a shrine near Damascus on January 11.

At the same time, the ielligence sharing does not mean the United States no longer considers Tahrir al-Sham a “terrorist” organization, the officials said in the report, released Friday.

It is stated in this report that the coact between the American officials and the represeatives of the Syrian ierim authorities began shortly after the overthrow of the governme of “Bashar Assad” in December 2024 and we to It was done directly, that is, without the mediation of third parties.

Syrian armed opposition captured Damascus on December 8, and Assad stepped down from the Syrian presidency and left his coury for Russia, where he sought asylum. After that, “Mohammed al-Bashir”, who managed the governme based in Idlib and was formed by Tahrir al-Sham and other opposition groups, was appoied as the ierim prime minister. He later announced that the ierim governme had been formed and would remain in office uil March 2025.

According to The Washington Post, the call to Tahrir al-Sham reflects growing U.S. alarm that ISIS could resurgence as Syria’s new leaders seek to consolidate corol.

Officials said the ielligence sharing was done out of a “mutual ierest” in preveing such a return and did not reflect full acceptance of Tahrir al-Sham, which remains a “terrorist” organization designated by the United States.

A former American official who, like others, asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said: “Given that there was reliable and specific information (about ISIS threats), as well as our efforts to establish a relationship with these people (the new officials) Syria), this is the right, prude and appropriate thing to do.”

In the chaotic days after Assad’s fall, the Biden administration cautiously engaged with Tahrir al-Sham and its leader, the group’s leader, Ahmad al-Shora, formerly known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. Jolani has tried to show moderation, reaching out to world leaders and pledging not to persecute Syria’s numerous religious minorities.

It is not clear what policy US Preside Donald Trump will take towards the ierim governme of Syria, but he has shown his desire to stay away from the affairs of this “Middle Eastern” coury. “This is not our fight,” he wrote on social media last moh as Tahrir al-Sham forces marched toward Damascus.

The previously unreported exchange of information with Tahrir al-Sham occurred directly between U.S. ielligence officials and represeatives of the group, not through third parties, and officials said it included exchanges between two parties in Syria and a third coury. . The former official said the coacts began almost two weeks after Tahrir al-Sham came to power on December 8.

The Syrian State News Service reported that on January 11, the Syrian Ierim Governme thwarted an ISIS plot to bomb the holy shrine of Sayyida Zainab in the suburbs of Damascus. Curre and former officials said the attack was foiled following warnings from US ielligence agencies, The Washington Post reported. The CIA declined to comme.

This former American official coinued to claim: “We share information with the Russians; Also, when we have specific threats and in some cases we have the duty to warn, we share information with the Iranians. Therefore, this was the result of trying to develop and nurture the relationship with Tahrir al-Sham. But it was not extraordinary. Even when our ierests are not perfectly aligned, in some cases we have a responsibility to share information.”

It is unclear whether there have been ielligence or diplomatic coacts with Syria’s ierim governme since Trump took office on Monday.

On the diplomatic fro, U.S. officials have urged Syria’s ierim leaders to be vigila about the resurgence of ISIS, according to a former senior U.S. official. The official, who asked not to be named, told The Washington Post that Tahrir al-Sham’s editorial board had given a “positive” response.

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