The $10 million bounty that the United States had previously offered for de facto Syrian leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the commander of the rebel organization Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the ouster of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, is about to be withdrawn. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said the decision comes after U.S. diplomats and HTS met in Damascus on Friday, during which Jolani pledged to make sure terrorist organizations in Syria do not threaten the United States and its allies. This was the first time a high-level U.S. delegation had visited the Syrian capital since the regime’s overthrow.
The delegation’s leader, Leaf, said the talks with the interim administration were excellent, highly fruitful, and thorough, covering a wide variety of topics both inside and outside the country. According to Leaf, Jolani himself came across as realistic.
We’ve been hearing these very reasonable and practical statements about a number of topics for a while now, including women’s rights and the defense of, you know, equal rights for all communities, etc.,” Leaf told reporters. Once more, the first encounter went well. We’ll evaluate actions as well as words. The important thing is actions.
The U.S. diplomats also emphasized the Biden Administration’s ongoing efforts to find out what happened to Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz, two Americans who were arrested or went missing in Syria. The delegation also included Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage problems, who visited Damascus in 2020 for confidential talks over Tice under the first Trump administration. According to Carstens, there is currently insufficient information to determine whether Tice, an American journalist who was kidnapped in Syria twelve years ago, is still alive.
What I can tell you is that the U.S. president recently stated that he thinks Austin is still alive, and it is our responsibility to keep searching for as much information as we can in order to determine, with certainty, what happened to him, where he is, and how to bring him home, Carstens told reporters after the meetings.
According to Carstens, the United States was concentrating on six specific prison locations where they thought there was a good chance Austin had been detained at some point. In the coming weeks, it will be the responsibility of the United States to conduct a thorough search of these locations and refine the evidence collection process in a manner that is exclusive to the FBI.
According to a State Department spokesman, the diplomats met with other Syrians, activists, members of other communities, and members of civil society in addition to HTS to discuss their goals for their nation’s future and how the US might support them.
According to Leaf, we met with the incredibly brave White Helmets to reaffirm our unwavering support for their life-saving missions and unrelenting efforts to improve Syria for all Syrians. To memorialize the tens of thousands of people—both Syrians and non-Syrians—who were cruelly killed by the former regime, tortured, incarcerated, or forcibly vanished or went missing, we also hosted a commemorative ceremony.
The U.S. hopes to have more frequent diplomatic missions to Damascus, according to Daniel Rubinstein, a senior adviser for the State Department’s Middle East office who will head the department’s diplomatic engagement on Syria from Washington.
It goes without saying that we must examine the operating circumstances, Rubenstein stated. We had a successful visit today, and we will attempt to conduct them as often and sensibly as possible.
As Jolani demands the easing of international sanctions on HTS, which the U.S. has branded a terrorist organization, the U.S. delegation’s visit comes after diplomats from France, the U.K., and Germany visited Damascus this week.
Humanitarian aid organizations have been working to help both the refugees returning to Syria and those who have been displaced there for the past ten years, but current U.S. sanctions, including the terrorist designation, limit the provision of material support while allowing the government to meet and communicate with HTS.
According to NBC News, the Biden administration is considering taking HTS off of its terrorist list. However, the administration has also outlined a number of requirements the group must fulfill in order for the US to fully recognize the Syrian government.
Deputy State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel stated Thursday that, like all governments, the one that emerges from this transition must be inclusive, defend the rights of all Syrians, including women and minorities, maintain vital state institutions, and provide basic services. Perhaps most importantly, we want to see Syria no longer be a threat to its neighbors or the surrounding areas, nor a place where terrorists will use it as a base or form alliances with organizations like ISIS.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!