U.S. diplomats have arrived in Syria to hold talks with the country’s new leaders about Syria’s new political landscape and missing Americans, including journalist Austin Tice.
High ranked U.S. diplomats arrived in Damascus on Friday to engage with the new government after Bashar al-Assad downfall. This is the first U.S. delegation to visit Syria since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
U.S high ranked officials including Roger Carstens, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Barbara Leaf, the top US State Department official for the Middle East, Daniel Rubinstein and a diplomat specializing in Arab affairs are the members of this delegation.
The diplomats are scheduled to meet with leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group currently in power. Delegation address the matter of missing Americans including journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in 2012.
The delegation will also meet with activists, civil society groups and minority community representatives to understand their views on Syria’s reconstruction.
“US is committed to helping Syrians build a non-sectarian, inclusive government that protects the rights of all communities” State Department spokesperson stated.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has called for national unity, minority protection, and the disbanding of rebel groups following Assad’s removal. However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed caution, stating that Jolani’s intentions remain unclear.
“There are no guarantees,†Blinken remarked in a recent interview. “Without our involvement, history suggests the cycle of authoritarianism may continue.â€
