'There is no blank cheque': Syria leader told to rein in jihadis

Syria’s President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, has a lot to prove to win over Western powers. If the first few week of his rule are anything to go by, he may be heading in the wrong direction. The West is watching Syria’s leaders closely to ensure they rein in the Islamist jihadis who killed hundreds of Alawites, create an inclusive government with effective institutions, maintain order in a country fractured by years of civil war and prevent a resurgence of Islamic State or Al Qaeda. To hammer home the message, three European envoys made clear in an 11 March meeting with Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, in Damascus that cracking down on the jihadi fighters was their top priority and that international support for the nascent […]