Exploiting work as a funding gateway… How does Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham dominate civil aviation in its areas of control in Syria?

Prepared by: Yamin Al-Khaled
Editing: (S.M.D)

The freedom of civil action of relief and humanitarian civil society organizations, in the areas under the control of “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), is restricted by the control of the Authority over a large area of the work of relief organizations and institutions and charities operating, in particular, in the Idlib region and its countryside and Western parts of Aleppo countryside, by imposing royalties and percentages of the share of civil work, and percentages of the amount of aid allocated to organizations that enter through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, in addition to allocating financial shares within the projects implemented in HTS-controlled areas.

Private sources from the areas of influence of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, told Aso News Network, that the operations of domination and theft of humanitarian aid that enters through Bab al-Hawa crossing, are carried out by employees of the “Salvation Government” affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

The quota mechanism imposed on civil organizations, by the Salvation Government, is carried out by unloading quantities and quotas imposed by the government of cars and vehicles that enter from Bab al-Hawa crossing, then they are transferred to a special building for Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham called “The Blue Laboratory”, (a building that the Salvation Government takes as a headquarters for the administration of the border strip area, which has an office for the camp administrator), and the materials allocated for the benefit of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham are stored from the share of local organizations, consisting of food baskets and other aid, to be put in the markets after removing the organization’s logo from the camp.

“Mahmoud Saeed” (a pseudonym for a worker in a local organization in Idlib countryside), says that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), imposes an estimated percentage of more than (10%) on all amounts of support directed by humanitarian organizations, whether they are food aid or financial blocks to implement certain projects, the percentage is imposed on organizations that support the health, education and service sectors (such as the Internet, electricity, hygiene, and others), and there is no exception for any organization from the quota, and it is paid despite and compulsion, as described by “Said.”

Saeed adds that HTS, through the Salvation Government, supervises the conduct of the work of humanitarian organizations, in the operations of distributing humanitarian aid to the displaced and refugees, through the management of the affairs of the displaced, and the organizations are not allowed to work except in coordination with the Salvation Government, supervising the distribution process in the camps and establishing projects.

background
And Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, according to Wikipedia (it is a militant Salafist-jihadi group that participated and is participating in the Syrian civil war, the body consists of elements in Jabhat al-Nusra in particular, where the leaders of this dissolved front control the most prominent centers in the body, despite the merger, changing the name, and other steps Some countries still refer to the organization as the branch of al-Qaeda in Syria, especially since it still embraces many leaders and personalities who had an important role in spreading al-Qaeda’s ideology in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq.

The perpetrators of the domination of civil work
Aso News Network obtained, from local active sources, information about the existence of funds and property run by influential people and leaders in Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the source of which is theft and domination of shares of the work of local organizations, including “Mohammed Omar Qadeed,” nicknamed Abu Abdul Rahman al-Zarba (from the town of Darkush in the Western countryside of Idlib and is located near Jisr al-Shughur), where Qadeed is considered the second man after the leader of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham. Qadeed works as a manager for the “Watad Petroleum” company, which sells fuel in Idlib regions and its countryside. Qadeed also owns real estate and buildings in the town of Salqin, and car offices in the town of Sarmada. And one of Qadeed’s close associates (he did not reveal himself) working for Watad Petroleum Company, says that Qadeed’s monthly income is about 50 thousand US dollars.

The Turkish lira is imposed by circulation in the regions of northwestern Syria, and the Syrian opposition institutions supported the experiment, which many observers see as interfering in favor of Turkey, which is dominant in the reality in northwestern Syria, while the idea of replacing the Syrian currency with the Turkish lira was negative for the citizens.

fake camps to make money
After the camps became a source of money for Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, in September 2020, the organization established about 50 fake camps in different areas in the towns of “Sarmada”, “Atmi”, “Deir Hassan” and “Kafrlusin” in the northern countryside of Idlib, Local humanitarian organizations demanded to support the camps, which are almost devoid of residents, and where some members and leaders of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham are present, but in reality they are fake camps that were set up to increase the body’s income from civil organizations.

Clear legitimization of theft
In his interview with Aso News Network, Imad al-Haj Abdo, a former employee of the “Hand in Hand” humanitarian organization, says that the hegemony of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and its control over the work of humanitarian organizations has become clear to those closely following the civil work in northwestern Syria. Stressing that the commission does not hide this, but rather declares it under the pretext of organizing civil work in the region under the cover of the Salvation Government.

For his part, Haj Abdo confirms the proportion of allocations imposed by HTS on local organizations, which he specifies between 10 to 15% of the total financial blocks allocated for establishing humanitarian projects, and the same amount is deducted from food aid for the displaced and refugees in all the camps under the control of HTS.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham fights civil and pro-democratic ideas in its ideology, but it has been trying, in the recent past, to show a different face to its jihadist ideology before the international community, and this appeared in interviews conducted by the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Julani

The work of civil organizations in Syria, after the Syrian crisis, appeared to accompany the movement’s path of change and humanitarian aid. The majority of civil organizations work in Syria, with the support of the international community, while other organizations work with a political orientation and regional and Arab support.

Civil work in the opposition areas was able to obtain the largest support from the international community, but the work of the organizations decreased as a result of the domination of radical factions over the Syrian opposition areas, and civil work became difficult in light of the presence of local organizations in Turkey, which began after 2015 by imposing difficulties on work Civilian, and interested in supporting political and military forces in Syria.

Civil work projects must pass the approval of the Salvation Government
Imad al-Haj Abdo says that every civil work project must pass with the approval of the Salvation Government in northwestern Syria, and be implemented under its supervision from start to finish. The government determines the beneficiaries of the project, as it is concerned with “population bloc projects in which local organizations support the displaced.” adding that a special share of the beneficiaries is determined by the Salvation Government, and they are people close to the authority, to whom percentages of support are allocated.

In terms of individual support or association support, HTS, through the Salvation Government, also imposes taxes on individual donation mechanisms to the camps by individual donors and groups, and allocates a portion of the amount of support (small or large) to HTS, before starting the project and distributing physical samples or relief.

Many Syrian civil organizations have reduced their work in the areas of northwestern Syria, due to the dominance of the Liberation Organization over the region, and international organizations have refrained from providing support to organizations operating in the areas under the control of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, fearing that terrorism may be financed through this, especially that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is classified as an extremist group.

While many institutions and organizations operate, but with the approval of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

About 100 local (informal statistics) humanitarian and civilian relief organizations operate within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s areas of influence, including the Turkish IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, Ataa’ Organization, Shafak Organization, Syria Relief Operations, Violet Organization and Mulham Volunteer Team, most of them are licensed organizations in Turkey and receive support from the European Union and international organizations and have offices in Turkey.