WASHINGTON: Prime diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday (Dec 20) to satisfy new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a State Division spokesperson mentioned, the primary in-person and official assembly between Washington and Syria’s de-facto new rulers.
The State Division’s prime Center East diplomat Barbara Leaf, Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed Senior Advisor Daniel Rubinstein, who’s now tasked with main the Division’s Syria engagement, are the primary US diplomats to journey to Damascus since Syria’s opposition militias overthrew oppressive President Bashar al-Assad.
The go to comes as Western governments are progressively opening channels to HTS and its chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, and begin debating whether or not or to not take away the terrorist designation on the group. The US delegation’s journey follows contacts with France and Britain in current days.
Of their conferences, the US officers will talk about with HTS representatives a set of rules equivalent to inclusivity and respect for the rights of minorities that Washington needs included in Syria’s political transition, the spokesperson mentioned.
The delegation may also work to acquire new details about US journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive throughout a reporting journey to Syria in August 2012, and different Americans who went lacking throughout the Assad regime.
“They are going to be partaking straight with the Syrian folks, together with members of civil society, activists, members of various communities, and different Syrian voices about their imaginative and prescient for the way forward for their nation and the way america might help assist them,” the division spokesperson mentioned.
“In addition they plan to satisfy with representatives of HTS to debate transition rules endorsed by america and regional companions in Aqaba, Jordan,” the spokesperson mentioned.
