US officials have confirmed that top State Department officials visited Damascus on Friday, meeting with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al-Sharaa for the first time. The meeting was described as “good and productive” by Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf.
Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has been designated a terrorist by the US government and has a $10 million bounty on his head. However, Leaf stated that lifting the bounty is a policy decision to facilitate discussions with HTS, which is focused on economic recovery for Syria.
The meeting was part of a resumption of US diplomatic engagement with the Syrian transitional government, which toppled the Assad regime in 2011. Al-Sharaa expressed moderate positions on women’s and minority rights, according to Leaf.
Key issues discussed during the meeting included the search for missing US journalist Austin Tice and preventing terrorist groups from seizing dangerous weapons held by the Assad regime. CENTCOM announced an airstrike targeting ISIS leader Abu Yusif in Syria, which resulted in two ISIS operatives being killed.
The visit marks a significant shift in US diplomacy with Syria, with Assistant Secretary Leaf set to return to Damascus in the coming days. The meeting highlights ongoing efforts to prevent terrorist groups from taking advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstituting.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2024/12/20/us-syria-diplomats-meet-hts-leader