Damascus, Syria: US is going to drop a $10m reward for the arrest of Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who lead the toppling of after an uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad regime, said a senior diplomat, as reported my media.
The announcement was made by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf after she and other US officials visited the Syrian capital, Damascus, to hold talks with the new Syrian administration.
It was the first US visit to the country, after its nearly 60-years al-Assad regime was overturned by a surprise lightning offensive led by Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Before Bashar al-Assad his father Hafiz al-Assad ruled the country.
HTS was branded as a terrorist organisation by the US in 2018. Sharaa, who is also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani is the head of the organisation, and once aligned with al-Qaeda.
Leaf said that the decision to drop the reward for al-Sharaa came after receiving “positive messages” during Friday’s discussions, including a promise to ensure that “terrorist” groups cannot pose a threat.
Also Read: From Radical Extremist To Statesman: How Abu Muhammed Al Julani Tries Shuffling Cards In West Asia
“Based on our discussion, I told him we would not be pursuing the Rewards for Justice reward offer that has been in effect for some years,” Leaf told reporters.
“I also communicated the importance of inclusion and broad consultation during this time of transition…We fully support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that results in an inclusive and representative government which respects the rights of all Syrians, including women, and Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious communities”, she added.
The diplomats from US to Syria also included Daniel Rubinstein, a former special envoy for Syria, and the US government’s chief envoy for hostage affairs, Roger Carstens. The trip came as Western countries have been pondering over whether to lift “terrorist” designations for HTS.
At the same time, the US admitted it had about 2,000 troops in Damascus. The figure is more than double the previous estimate. Washington started to send troops to Syria in 2014, with the stated objective of defeating ISIL (ISIS).
However, the troops continued to remain in the country even after ISIS faced territorial defeat in 2017.
Also Read: US Planning To Lift “Terrorist” Designation On HTS: Report
On Friday, the US military said it carried out an air strike that killed ISIL leader Abu Yusif, also known as Mahmud, in the eastern Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor, said Al Jazeera.
The attack took place in an area previously controlled by Syrian government and Russian forces, the Middle East-based Central Command of the US military (CENTCOM) said.
“As stated before, the United States- working with allies and partners in the region – will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute,” CENTCOM commander Erik Kurilla said in a statement.
“ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria. We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria”. The Pentagon also suggested that the US is not planning to withdraw its forces from Syria in the near future, saying that ISIL remains a threat in the count try.