US warns Syrian leader faces assassination threat amid efforts for inclusive governance

The United States has expressed serious concern over the safety of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, fearing he may become a target for assassination due to his efforts to promote inclusive governance and engage with the West.

US Special Envoy for Syria, Ambassador Tom Barrack, emphasized the urgent need for protective measures around Sharaa during an interview with Al-Monitor, Caliber.Az reports.

“We need to coordinate a protection system around [Sharaa],” Barrack stated, highlighting the growing risks from disaffected militant factions. These groups, including splinter factions of foreign fighters who joined Sharaa’s campaign to topple former President Bashar al-Assad, pose a significant threat. Barrack warned, “The longer it takes to bring economic relief to Syria, the more faction groups you're going to have that are going to say, ‘This is our opportunity to disrupt.’”

Barrack stressed the importance of preemptive deterrence through “close cooperation and intelligence sharing among US allies rather than military intervention,” to prevent potential attacks on Sharaa and his government.

Describing Sharaa as “bright,” “confident,” and “focused,” Barrack downplayed concerns about the Syrian leader’s jihadist past. “I’m certain that our interests and his interests are exactly the same today, which is to make a success like he did in Idlib of building an inclusive, functioning society that will be soft Islam, not hard Islam,” he said.

Sharaa’s group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a US-designated terrorist organization, has controlled Idlib since 2017. Despite its controversial past, HTS has recently eased social restrictions and made overtures to minority communities.

Barrack also praised Sharaa’s government for managing internal challenges, including sectarian violence and integration of various armed factions. “I really give these guys a lot of credit for harnessing the resources that they have and keeping their composure at a time where everybody else's initiative is to try and institute fires that will be attributed to them,” Barrack said.

By Vafa Guliyeva