Uk Diplomats Meet Rebel Leader In Damascus

[naomi24]

//British diplomats have held talks with the leader of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), following its ousting of President Bashar al-Assad ....

Images posted on social media by the group's military operations department showed HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa - formerly known as Mohammed al-Golani - meeting senior officials in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Among those photographed alongside him was Ann Snow, the UK's special representative for Syria.

HTS said the delegation had discussed "the latest developments" in the country.

Al-Sharaa also gave an interview to the Times newspaper, external in which he called on the West to lift all sanctions imposed on Syria under the Assad regime - including the designation of HTS as a terrorist organisation.

"They should lift all restrictions, which were imposed on the flogger and the victim - the flogger is gone now. This issue is not up for negotiation," he said.//

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czd40pd1g7lo

 

The BBC calls them rebels even though they are designated a proscribed terrorist organisation.   Should we be speaking with them - and should their leader's demands - which according to him are 'not up for negotiation' -  be met?

[Old_Geezer]

I guess one needs to talk to make progress, but carefully.

[youngmafbog]

Typical of the BBC.  They should be disbanded or at least not recieve forced tax money.

I do believe we need contact but as OG says, carefully.

As for "not up for negotiation" he can do one.  He is not in a position to bargain.

[Untitled]

Isn't something like this what the sanctions were intended to help along? they were put there in order to weaken the syrian government... and lo and behold. 

[ToraToraTora]

well the bad guys have ousted the worse guys. The new guy has made some encouraging noises. It's right to at least hear them out.

[Peter Pedant]

 Should we be speaking with them 

yeah we spoke to Hagana and Irgun in 1948 didnt we? same as same  as

[DTCwordfan]

Ditto Saddam and looked what happened there.....I guess it's a job for one Tony Blair??

[Peter Pedant]

it is one for the diplomats. they take hard exams and get lots of money

and it is non negotiable - is negotiable innit?

( a bit in the AB category of " Ay am not going to deign a comment" - I am sorry you have just commented )