‘Damascus is a Qatari project’ says Middle East political expert

Hamas has established a strong base in Syria, and the country’s new ruling party, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is a product of Qatar, according to a leading analyst.

Professor Ed Husain of Georgetown University said that following the ousting of President Bashar Assad, Hamas has renewed support in Syria – and Qatar has found a new ally in HTS.

“Hamas may have been relatively obliterated out of Gaza, but I am afraid to tell you that Hamas now has a strong base in Damascus,” he told a north London audience last Thursday.

Husain added: “Qatar two months ago was weaker than it is today because of the successes that Israel and other countries in the region had advanced, but what has changed is the fact that Qatar now has a major ally [Syria]... and its model is now going to be upheld by Damascus.”

Speaking with Emirati influencer and political analyst Amjad Taha at an event in Hampstead organised by advocacy group Stand With Us, Husain said he did not trust HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.

“I refuse to retract my thinking on this until and unless we have answers from someone who calls themselves the Golani from the Golan Heights, but he was not born in the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is not Syrian territory according to reality. They call themselves Golani – reminding everyone they [plan to] liberate the Golan Heights. Now this man is in power in Damascus.”

Husain previously worked as a senior adviser to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and he warned against normalising relations with HTS. “My old boss Tony Blair and others are busy warming him up to the world,” he said.

Husain raised concerns about al-Julani’s stance on jihad. 

“He hasn’t told us where he stands on 9/11, he hasn’t told us how many Americans he has killed in Iraq and Syria, and where he stands on that. He hasn’t told us whether he recognises his Jewish neighbour state, and he hasn’t told us whether his armed forces will be composed of global jihadists or if they will now be sent back to their countries and his Syrian armed forces will be just that – Syrian.”

He questioned: “Will his country be a literal Shia Islamist state, or will it be a moderate Arab country following the route of the UAE and others?

“I don’t think we should trust what’s going on in Damascus. Damascus is a Qatari project backed by other countries in the region, and that’s what worries me. Unless those questions are answered, we are in trouble.”

In conversation with Oliver Anisfeld, Ed Husain and Amjad Taha expressed hope for the future of the Abraham Accords but caution when it comes to the new Syrian regime (Photo: Stand with Us)[Missing Credit]

HTS, al-Qaeda's former branch in Syria, shares an ideological base with Hamas. The Sunni terrorist group congratulated HTS for ending the Assad family’s five-decade rule in Syria and said in a post on Telegram last December: “We also emphasise the importance of Syria continuing its historical and pivotal role in supporting the Palestinian people and their resistance to achieve the goals of their just cause, while solidifying Syria’s leadership role on the Arab and Islamic fronts, as well as regionally and internationally.” 

The terror group declared: “We reject any Zionist ambitions or schemes targeting brotherly Syria, its land, and its people.”

Husain also warned the north-west London audience about the risks of discussing Qatar publicly: “When the topic of Qatar comes up in Washington DC, everyone is on the defensive because Qatar pays for the US armed forces being based there. It is their strategy: make yourself the US armed forces’ host and make it difficult for others in the region to shut down the wider operations you are launching.”

Fellow speaker Amjad Taha also cautioned against trusting HTS.

“If Julani puts his hand out for normalisation with Israel, and there are suggestions that he might do so, who is going to be on the other side to shake his hand, and how much do you trust the Islamists?” he asked.

A champion of the Abraham Accords, Taha emphasised diplomacy.

“We can overcome any challenges through dialogue, conversation, [and a] peaceful manner, through supporting the similarities [between countries], and we can overcome those [differences] with understanding rather than using guns against each other.”

Hundreds of people attended the Stand with Us event last Thursday evening (Photo: Stand with Us)[Missing Credit]

Taha argued that trade is the key to achieving peace.

“The Abraham Accords are thriving and have not stopped. When October 7 happened... we thought we could be the light.

“It is because of that relationship that we can have the conversation and dialogue with the Israelis.”

This, he said, has led to humanitarian aid reaching Gaza and over 200 children with cancer being taken from Gaza to the UAE for treatment, “where they are being treated rather than being used as a human shield for Hamas or not being treated.”

Taha also suggested that Donald Trump’s approach had renewed efforts for peace.

“Donald Trump speaks in a Middle Eastern language... The moment needed someone to move things around.”

Trump “raised the bar for people to come to the table,” Taha added. He believes states realised, “if we’re not going to come to the table, then someone else will do so. This sends a clear signal to the rest of the Middle East – start looking for a solution.”