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Washington Rejects Damascus Government's Membership in International Coalition Against ISIS
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The transitional authority faces a real dilemma represented by its inability to break with the extremist past of its leaders, depriving it of vital opportunities for integration into the international
For the second time, the Syrian interim caretaker government has failed in its efforts to join the international coalition against "ISIS," according to diplomatic sources in Washington, France, and Syria, reflecting its inability to present itself as a trusted partner within the international security system.
A French diplomatic source reported that Paris made efforts, in coordination with Germany and with Saudi support, to convince Ahmed Al-Sharaa to submit a second application to join the coalition, given the importance of this step in the path of international acceptance of the transitional authority. Indeed, Damascus submitted a second request about 10 days ago, but the international coalition did not approve it due to failure to meet the required conditions.
An American source revealed that Washington submitted a clear request weeks ago that included the names of seven senior officers in the Syrian army who hold foreign nationalities, whom Washington sees their continuation in their positions as threatening global security, indicating that Damascus's insistence on keeping these leaders sends a negative signal about its seriousness in breaking with the past.
Malek Al-Hafez, a Syrian researcher in international affairs, believes that "the reluctance to dismiss foreign leaders, despite the direct request from Washington, sends a message that the new authority is still captive to its transnational factional reference, and that it has not yet broken with ideological empowerment narratives."
Ironically, Syria's new leaders know the extent of the United States' interest in the foreign fighters file, as the international coalition previously targeted the "Khorasan" group that was working under Al-Sharaa's leadership when he was leading "Jabhat al-Nusra" under the name "Abu Mohammad al-Jolani."
This diplomatic loss points to the depth of the gap between the requirements of international integration and the actual practices of the transitional authority, which weakens its ability to mobilize real international support in sensitive files such as combating terrorism and reconstruction, and shows the urgent need to adopt a genuine national approach based on the principles of decentralized governance and the participation of all Syrians.
