US Provides Secret Intelligence to Syria’s New Government
The United States has shared secret intelligence on threats posed by ISIS with the new government in Syria, according to multiple current and former U.S. officials familiar with these exchanges.
According to The Washington Post, in at least one instance, U.S. intelligence helped thwart an ISIS plot to attack a religious shrine outside Damascus earlier this month, as confirmed by officials.
These communications reflect increasing U.S. concerns about an ISIS resurgence as Syria’s new leaders attempt to consolidate control.
Officials explained that the intelligence-sharing is driven by a mutual interest in preventing such a revival by ISIS and does not indicate “full endorsement” of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which remains designated as a terrorist organization.
A former U.S. official, speaking under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, stated, “This is the right, prudent, and appropriate thing to do, given that there was credible, specific information about ISIS threats, alongside our efforts to cultivate a relationship with these guys.”
In the chaotic days following Bashar al-Assad’s fall,
President Joe Biden’s administration began cautiously engaging with HTS and its leader, Ahmed
al-Sharaa.
It is unclear what policy President Donald Trump will pursue regarding the new Syrian
government, but he has indicated a desire to stay out of Middle Eastern affairs.
Officials noted that the intelligence-sharing with HTS, which was previously unreported,
occurred in direct meetings between U.S. intelligence officials and HTS representatives, not
through third parties, involving exchanges between the two sides in Syria and another country.
