DAMASCUS, Dec 21 (NNN-SANA) – A high-level U.S. delegation met with Ahmad al-Shara, the commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), yesterday.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department said, the diplomats “will be engaging directly with the Syrian people … about their vision for the future of their country, and how the United States can help support them.”
The officials are Barbara Leaf, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs; Roger D. Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs; and Daniel Rubinstein, former special envoy for Syria.
Syria’s local news outlet, al-Watan Online, said, the meeting discussed sanctions relief on Syria, and the possible removal of the HTS from international terrorism lists.
The rare U.S. diplomatic engagement with al-Shara in the Syrian capital reflected a rapidly changing political environment, following the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad’s government, nearly two weeks ago.
The U.S. team’s arrival in Syria follows a flurry of visits by UN officials and European delegations from Britain, France, and Germany, signalling a concerted effort by international players to influence the shape of Syria’s post-conflict governance.
The al-Assad government collapsed as a militant coalition, led by the HTS, captured the capital Damascus earlier this month. The HTS is still classified as a terrorist group by the United Nations, the United States, and Türkiye, among others.– NNN-SANA
