Trudeau congratulates Syria’s interim leader, despite terrorist listing

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Syria’s interim president today, despite him leading a group Canada still designates as a terrorist organization.

Ahmed al-Sharaa leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group Canada has listed as a terrorist organization since 2013.

That group, often called HTS, toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad last December, ending a brutal dictatorship that was supported by the Russian government.

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Al-Sharaa now leads the country and has hinted at aiming for a multicultural society, despite pledging for years to install an Islamic theocracy.

2:15 Traces of normal life return to Syria, one week after the fall of the Assad regime

Trudeau’s office says he spoke today with Al-Sharaa, and “offered congratulations on the success of ending the Assad regime.”

The Prime Minister’s Office has been asked whether Canada plans to remove HTS from the terror listing.