US diplomats head to Syria to meet new leadership
US diplomats are heading to Syria to meet Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of the group who toppled Bashar al-Assad but are a designated terror group in the US due to previous links to al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, on December 20th.
According to the Financial Times, the delegation is being lead by the state department’s senior Middle East official Barbara Leaf, and also include special envoy for hostages Roer Carstens and Daniel Rubenstein, who has been tapped by the Biden administration to lead diplomatic engagement with Syria.
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The meeting on December 20th will be the first formal in-person contact between the US and leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which led the offensive that overthrew Assad two weeks ago. The Financial Times reported on December 19th that Leaf would meet Jolani in Damascus.
Jolani has urged western countries to lift both sanctions on Syria and HTS’s terror listing, in place since 2018, the latter being US officials have said they would consider doing if the group proves its commitment to “inclusive” rule and maintaining stability.
“If you don’t want that isolation, then there are certain things that you have to do in moving the country forward and make sure you’re moving it forward in an inclusive way…. to deal with some of the security challenges, whether it’s chemical weapons, whether it’s groups like Isis,” secretary of state Anthony Blinken said at an event in New York on December 18th.
“It’s important to have direct communication,” Blinken told Bloomberg on December 19th.
There have also been trips to Damascus this week by officials from France, Germany and the UK.
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US officials have been in contact with HTS to discuss Syria’s transition and Austin Tice, an American journalist abducted in Damascus 12 years ago. The US cannot offer HTS material support due to its terrorist designation, but it can communicate with them.
Jolani argues that Assad’s departure means sanctions on the state should be lifted. US officials have been encouraged by Jolani’s conciliatory statements and pledges to preside over a united Syria, but said the challenge was now whether his actions match his words.
The EU plans to reopen its legation in Damascus, as does Qatar, while Turkey, which has links to HTS, already has.
Financial Times
