Syria: Top United States officials in Damascus to meet new Syrian rulers

Top diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday to meet new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the first in-person and official meeting between Washington and Syria’s de-facto new rulers.

The State Department’s top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf, presidential envoy for hostage affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed senior adviser Daniel Rubinstein, who is tasked with leading the Department’s Syria engagement, are the first US diplomats to travel to Damascus since Syria’s opposition militias overthrew oppressive President Bashar al-Assad.

The visit comes as Western governments are gradually opening channels to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, and start debating whether or not to remove the terrorist designation on the group.

The US delegation’s travel follows contacts with France and Britain in recent days.

In their meetings, the US officials would discuss with HTS representatives a set of principles such as inclusivity and respect for the rights of minorities that Washington wanted in Syria’s political transition, a State Department spokesperson said.

The delegation will also work to obtain new information about US journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, and other American citizens who went missing during the Assad regime.

“They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them,” the spokesperson said.

“They also plan to meet with representatives of HTS to discuss transition principles endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan.”

The United States cut diplomatic ties with Syria and shut down its embassy in Damascus in 2012.

In a seismic moment for the Middle East, Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on December 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family’s decades-long rule.

The lightning offensive raised questions over whether the rebels will be able to ensure an orderly transition.

Forces under the command of al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - replaced the Assad family rule with a three-month transitional government that had been ruling a rebel enclave in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib.

Washington in 2013 designated al-Sharaa a terrorist, saying al-Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad’s rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria.

US President Joe Biden described the overthrow of Assad as a historic opportunity for the Syrian people who have for decades lived under his oppressive rule, but also warned the country faced a period of risk and uncertainty.

Washington remains concerned that extremist group ISIS could seize the moment to resurrect and also wants to avoid any clashes in the country’s northeast between Turkey-backed rebel factions and US-allied Kurdish militia.