U.S. slams Syria’s appointment of sanctioned faction leader to commander
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The U.S. State Department strongly criticized on Thursday the Syrian transitional government’s decision to appoint Ahmad Ihsan Fayad al-Hayes—widely known as Abu Hatem Shaqra—as commander of a Syrian army division, calling the move a “serious mistake.”
“The interim authority’s decision to appoint this individual, who has a long record of human rights abuses and undermining our defeat-ISIS mission, to an official position is a serious mistake,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Rudaw Media Network.
On May 5, Syria’s Ministry of Defense appointed Abu Hatem Shaqra—who is under U.S. sanctions—to lead the Division 86, which operates in key sectors across the Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, and Raqqa governorates.
Shaqra is sanctioned by the United States for his alleged involvement in the killing of Kurdish political leader Hevrin Khalaf, as well as for committing other human rights violations and maintaining ties with the Islamic State (ISIS).
A native of the town of Shaqra in the Deir ez-Zor countryside, Abu Hatem Shaqra previously led the “Liberation and Construction Movement,” a faction within the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).
The movement was formed in 2022 from the merger of four prominent factions, including Ahrar al-Sharqiya, which has also been sanctioned by the U.S. for unlawful killings and other abuses.