Bashar al Assad’s cousin has stated Syria’s new leaders can’t be trusted to show away from their extremist previous and unite the nation.

Ribal al Assad, an exiled critic of his cousin, was scathing in his evaluation of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and claimed it was already committing killings of retribution.

Referring to HTS chief Abu Mohammed al Jolani, he advised Sky Information’ The World: “The man has $10m on his head – he was a member of ISIS after which he moved to develop into the chief of al Qaeda in Syria.

“And so they dedicated as a lot atrocities in Syria because the regime.”

He in contrast it to damaged hopes that Afghanistan’s Taliban would reform itself, including: “You assume individuals who dedicated hundred of hundreds of atrocities are going to say now we’re in energy they will change?

“You keep in mind Hamas once they got here into energy after throwing all of the PLO folks from the roofs of buildings in Gaza. The identical factor.”

HTS has stated it has moved on and can deal with all Syria’s minority teams pretty.

The group’s chief, Abu Mohammed al Jolani, advised Sky Information final week: “The concern was from the presence of the regime. The nation is shifting in the direction of growth and reconstruction. It is going in the direction of stability.”

The HTS chief is a former member of Islamic State of Iraq and led al Qaeda’s affiliate group in Syria earlier than severing ties in 2016.

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He stays a delegated terrorist by the US, however has spent years making an attempt to distance himself from his former ties to al Qaeda. He now claims to have renounced his previous and says he embraces pluralism and tolerance.

Nonetheless, Ribal al Assad claimed the group – who swept by means of Syria to lastly oust President Assad simply over per week in the past – is already finishing up killings.

He stated: “We do not wish to see in Syria what occurred in Iran 45 years in the past, the place the Shah’s regime – who was a dictator – was changed by the mullahs. And now everyone seems to be struggling – not solely in Iran, however internationally.”

President Assad’s cousin stated he left Syria aged 9.

He denied his personal father was concerned in perpetrating massacres and stated he fell out with Bashar throughout the one time he ever met him – when he returned to Syria within the Nineteen Nineties.

“I stood as much as him. A few months later they tried to assassinate me at Damascus worldwide airport,” he advised Sky Information.

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He additionally painted an image of President Assad as energy hungry and “disturbed”, saying he was in a jubilant temper on the funeral of his brother – who died in a automobile crash and was attributable to develop into chief earlier than him.

“His brother had simply handed away and after I was on the funeral folks have been carrying him,” stated Ribal al Assad.

“So I assumed he was actually irregular… Folks have been carrying him and he was waving his arms like I am subsequent in line. This man is disturbed to try this – he has no compassion.”

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On Monday, President Assad issued his first feedback since fleeing to Russia.

The assertion stated he left Damascus for Russia on 8 December – “a day after the autumn” of town, including: “At no level throughout these occasions did I contemplate stepping down or looking for refuge.

“The one plan of action was to proceed combating in opposition to the terrorist onslaught.”