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They blew up civilians. They crucified Christians. They ran suicide bombers into marketplaces. They enforced Sharia with amputations and public executions.

And now, they’re off the U.S. terror list.

On July 7, 2025, the State Department officially revoked the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation of al-Nusrah Front—the former al-Qaeda franchise in Syria—and its successor Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This wasn’t a court ruling. It wasn’t a mistake. It was signed, stamped, and filed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

This is legitimizing jihad with a diplomatic handshake.

From the beginning, al-Nusrah’s mission was clear: Establish an Islamic emirate in Syria, governed by Sharia and enforced through jihad. That included:

• Suicide bombings
• Child soldier recruitment
• Sharia punishments like beheadings and stonings
• The public execution of Christians and so-called “apostates”

By 2013, the group had become al-Qaeda’s official affiliate in Syria.

• March 2013 – Raqqa:
  Al-Nusrah took over parts of Raqqa with ISIS, publicly executed government loyalists, and imposed Sharia courts.
  Source: Human Rights Watch / Syrian Observatory
• June 2013 – Aleppo:
  Al-Nusrah executed 11 captured Syrian soldiers by gunfire. A video showed the group leader reading out Sharia charges before the executions.
  Source: BBC / The Guardian
• August 2013 – Latakia countryside:
  Al-Nusrah fighters were part of a coalition that massacred over 190 civilians, including 57 women and children, and abducted over 200 Alawite villagers.
  Source: Human Rights Watch report “You Can Still See Their Blood” (2013)
• September 2014 – Maaloula (Christian town):
  Al-Nusrah fighters executed Christian civilians, including young men who refused to convert to Islam.
  Source: Washington Post / Syrian Christian witnesses
• 2012–2015 – Multiple locations (Idlib, Aleppo, Homs):
  Systematic use of child soldiers, Sharia stonings, whippings, and public amputations for theft or “blasphemy”.
  Source: UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria

Then Came the PR Makeover.

In 2016, they rebranded as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Then they merged into Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The ideology stayed the same.

• 2017 – Idlib Province:
  HTS militants stormed rival rebel groups, conducted Sharia trials, and imposed execution by firing squad for “spying” and “apostasy.”
  Source: Al Jazeera / Reuters
• 2018 – Kafr Nabl, Idlib:
  HTS publicly executed a civilian for “cursing Allah” after a closed-door religious tribunal. No defense, no appeal.
  Source: Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
• 2019 – Dana and Saraqib (Idlib):
  HTS arrested and tortured journalists and aid workers, accusing them of “collaboration with the West.”
  Source: CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists)
• 2020 – Idlib City:
  HTS imposed strict dress codes on women, banned women from traveling without male guardians, and shut down hair salons.

  “HTS curbs freedoms, imprisons women without hijab or proper escort.”
  — Human Rights Watch, June 28, 2020

• 2022 – Ariha, Idlib:
  HTS security forces executed two civilians accused of “sorcery” and “disrespect to Islam” after Friday prayers—their bodies were displayed publicly.Source: Local Syrian media / UK-based SOHR

The leaders remained the same. The only thing that changed was the font on their flags.

But it didn’t matter. Because soon, they were rewarded.

Then came the green light. In the weeks following that meeting, the Trump administration lifted all remaining U.S. sanctions on Syria. There was no demand for democratic reform. No requirement to dismantle Sharia courts. No accountability for over a decade of jihadist violence.

And finally, the reward.

On July 7, 2025, the U.S. State Department revoked their designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
No press release. No hearing. Just a quiet entry in the Federal Register.

“I hereby revoke the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (and other aliases) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization…”

– Federal Register, Public Notice 12762, signed June 23, 2025

And it was signed, stamped, and filed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Let’s be clear:

HTS was designated as a terrorist group on May 15, 2012, for its ties to al-Qaeda, its mass-casualty attacks, and its public enforcement of Sharia.

Nothing has changed, except our foreign policy. Did al-Nusrah fighters disband or renounce jihad? No. The same fighters, same leadership, and same ideology continued under different names. Did their founder, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, step down or change beliefs?

No. He’s Still the Leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

• Operate Islamic courts
• Enforce Sharia punishments (floggings, amputations, executions)
• Arrest, torture, and kill opposition, apostates, and unveiled women

They still operate under Sharia principles, religious conformity, and executions for “blasphemy.” Their top clerics still preach about killing apostates and fighting the West. Their media arm still glorifies martyrs and jihad.

So why is the U.S. legitimizing them? Because Washington doesn’t punish ideologies. It rewards convenience.

HTS fights Assad. HTS is anti-Iran. HTS keeps parts of Syria “stabilized” enough for other actors to move. So now they’re “our terrorists.” Just like the Taliban. Just like the Mujahideen.

The American pattern repeats, and innocent people will pay the price.

We don’t need Washington handing power to those who kill for Allah and call it foreign policy. We the People need God, and they need an exorcism.

This isn’t peace.

It’s a payoff.

And the jihadists just cashed the check.