Syria is reported to have thwarted an attack by the extremist terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) thanks to information provided by the United States.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 24th (local time), the United States shared confidential information regarding the threat from IS with the Syrian government. Based on this information, Syria blocked IS's terrorist plans targeting a religious facility located on the outskirts of Damascus earlier this month.
Former and current U.S. officials explained that this information sharing is aimed at achieving the common goal of preventing the resurgence of IS. The rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seeks to topple the Bashar al-Assad regime that has been iron-fisted in Syria and establish a new government, had previously aimed to build a fundamentalist Islamic state, but has recently been sending conciliatory signals to the West.
The United States has also kept the possibility of improving relations with the new Syrian government open, as it recently canceled a $10 million bounty on HTS leader Ahmed al-Shara. Currently, the United States is operating a base in eastern Syria with about 2,000 troops deployed to eradicate IS.
However, U.S. officials drew a line stating that sharing information with the Syrian government does not imply full support for HTS. Although there are expectations regarding its role in restraining IS, it is not entirely reliable, as HTS has previously appointed individuals associated with extremism to key government positions.
In addition, U.S. intelligence agencies adhere to the principle of sharing information with hostile nations in the event of obtaining information related to terrorism. Last year, the United States warned Russia about a planned terrorist attack on a performance venue on the outskirts of Moscow, and conveyed IS's bombing plans to Iran as well. The sharing of information and diplomatic exchanges are considered separate matters.
Matthew Levitt, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted that "it is not surprising for U.S. officials to engage with Syria for the purpose of restraining IS," adding, "however, this kind of engagement should not be interpreted as intimacy."