Sharaa said that HTS is not a terrorist group.
He said they did not target civilians or civilian areas. In fact, they considered themselves victims of the crimes of the Assad regime. Victims, he said, should not be treated the same as oppressors.
He denied that he wanted to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan.
Sharaa said that the countries are very different, with different traditions. Afghanistan was a tribal society. In Syria, he said, there was a different mindset. He said he believed in education for women.
Throughout the interview, Sharaa was relaxed, dressed in civilian clothes and trying to reassure anyone who thinks his group has not broken with its extremist past.
Many Syrians do not believe him.
The actions of Syria’s new leaders in the next few months will show what kind of country they want Syria to be – and how they want to rule it.
