The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on Sunday stressed its independence from any former organizations or factions and accused the US of supporting tyranny in Syria in a response to the US State Department’s statement designating the group a terrorist branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria.
Tahrir al-Sham said in its statement that since its foundation it had declared itself to be an independent entity and not an extension of any organization or faction. It added that the organization was “a new stage in the Syrian revolution,” emphasizing its efforts to bring down the regime.
The statement said that “the United States has cast itself into contradictions regarding the slogans it uses about ‘people’s freedom and human rights,’” charging that the US “has shown its true face in supporting tyrants against the people” and that its aim was to further its own interests at the expense of other nations.’
The statement by US Envoy to Syria Michael Ratney accused the newly-formed merger of “swallowing the Syrian revolution from within,” and said that Nusra Front had “changed its face to make Al-Qaeda less reliant on the revolution.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
