As the US moves to lift some restrictions on the Syria's fragile new government, Australia will have to consider whether it wants closer ties with a group it has labelled as terrorists.
Now that the brutal Bashar al-Assad regime has been toppled, Syria's new leaders have tried to appeal to Western governments to build closer ties and lift harsh sanctions on the country. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , a jihadist alliance led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria branch, declared Assad's rule over on 8 December , after the rebel group they spearheaded took control of Aleppo.
Amin Saikal, an emeritus professor at the Australian National University, is a specialist in Middle Eastern international relations. He said if Australia decides to lift sanctions, it won't have much impact on Syria, as Australia has never had a major trade relationship with the country or been a significant player in the region. Syria is one of the most-sanctioned countries in the world and, after 13 years of conflict, is in a "devastated state", he said.
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