The Liberal government is sending $84 million in taxpayer funds to Syria and easing sanctions on the country’s interim government, which is led by the head of a designated terrorist organization.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen unveiled the decision on Thursday, describing the measures as aiding Syria’s “transition to an inclusive and peaceful future.”
Despite ongoing sectarian violence and mass killings targeting the country’s Alawite minority by forces loyal to the current government led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham–a group designated as a terrorist entity in Canada–the Liberal government is suspending sanctions for six months under what it calls a special economic measures permit authorization order.
“As part of today’s announcement, Canada is providing $84 million in new funding for humanitarian assistance to Syria. Canada is also taking steps to ease existing sanctions for a period of six months, to support democratization, stabilization, and the delivery of aid to and within Syria during this period of transition,” a government press release reads.
This figure is on top of the $17.25 million disbursed by the Trudeau government soon after the fall of the Assad regime.
The Liberal government also appointed the Ambassador to Lebanon Stefanie McCollum to serve as a non-resident ambassador to Syria.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed Liberal MP Omar Alghabra to act as the special envoy for Syria with the task of promoting “inclusive government” in the country. Through Global Affairs Canada programs, Canada’s diplomatic mission to Lebanon also facilitated events in the country promoting “intersectional transformative feminism.”
The $84 million will be put towards new humanitarian assistance and a six-month suspension of certain sanctions under Canada’s Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations.
Canada first imposed sanctions on Syria’s Assad regime on May 25, 2011. The move follows months of advocacy from Alghabra, who has urged Ottawa to support the new rebel government.
Alghabra, a former Liberal cabinet minister, has insisted that lifting sanctions will give Syria “a chance” at democracy.
“We had conversations about their vision for Syria. All I can tell you is I’m hearing a lot of the right things,” Alghabra said in a previous interview with Global News.
Yet, concerns are growing that Canada’s actions amount to legitimizing an administration led by a group with longstanding terrorist ties.
HTS remains a designated terrorist entity in Canada, having been blacklisted in 2013 when it was still an al-Qaeda proxy.
Despite Trudeau’s direct engagement with HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa—better known as Abu-Mohammad al-Joulani—the government has not addressed ongoing sectarian violence in Syria targeting civilians who belong to the Alawite minority, who made up the ranks of the former Assad regime.
Human rights organizations and international observers have reported a wave of Alawite civilian killings in recent weeks, as HTS consolidates control over former regime strongholds.
Since March 6, HTS forces have stormed Latakia, Tartous, and Jableh, areas with significant Alawite populations.
Fox News cited an Alawite estimate of over 4,000 dead, witnesses describing mass executions and targeted violence against families accused of supporting Assad’s former government. The Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented at least 125 civilian deaths including mass executions by government-aligned forces.
Since 2016, the Liberal government has spent over $4.8 billion on Syrian humanitarian and stabilization efforts, including aid to neighbouring countries hosting refugees and has hosted over 100,000 Syrian refugees in Canada.
Liberals sure love murderous muslims.