HTS leader, Jolani

8am: Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, recently held a telephone conversation with Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani, the Foreign Minister of Syria, congratulating the victory of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and expressing a desire for representatives from both sides to meet and establish prompt diplomatic relations between Kabul and Damascus. Surprisingly, Muttaqi praised the new Syrian government for implementing “general amnesty,” something the Taliban regime itself has not adhered to. When Bashar al-Assad, the previous ruler of Syria, fled, Taliban supporters in some provinces celebrated in the streets, distributing sweets and flowers to passersby, welcoming the rise to power of Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). However, Al-Sharaa has indicated that his government does not align with the Taliban’s Emirate model in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).