From the Liveblog of
Friday, December 20, 2024
US lifts bounty on new Syria ruler after he commits to combat terror groups
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
The US has decided to remove the bounty that it had in place for the head of Syria’s new de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa after he committed during a meeting with top Biden administration officials earlier today in Damascus that he will not allow terror groups to operate in Syria who threaten the US and neighboring countries.
The decision is announced by US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf during a briefing with reporters shortly after her meeting with al-Sharaa.
“Based on our discussion, I told him we would not be pursuing the Rewards for Justice reward offer,” she says.
The FBI in 2017 put up a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Sharaa, earlier known by his war name Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, pointing to his swearing of allegiance to Al-Qaeda.
Officials during the meeting discussed the need to ensure terrorist groups cannot pose a threat inside Syria or externally, which al-Sharaa committed to, Leaf says.
Leaf also tells reporters that following her discussions with representatives from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Islamist group, she expects that Syria will completely end any role in the country for Iran, the longtime ally of fallen dictator Bashar al-Assad.
“If I’m to judge by today, Iran will have no role whatsoever, and it shouldn’t,” Leaf, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, tells reporters.
Iran, with its deployment of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah “really preyed upon and really viciously brutalized the Syrian people,” she says.
She says the US welcomes “positive messages” it has been hearing from the “pragmatic”-sounding HTS leader but will need to see actions and democratic progress before the sanctions can be removed.
“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 says.
Al-Sharaa told Leaf that his top priorities as the new leader of Syria are rooted in getting the country on the road to economic recovery, she says.
The US is also providing technical expertise and other support to the new transitional leadership in Syria with the documentation of crimes committed by the Assad regime, amid the discovery of mass graves earlier this week.
Leaf also says that Washington is urging a ceasefire between Turkish-backed forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces around the flashpoint Syrian city of Kobane.
“We are working energetically, in discussions with Turkish authorities, also with SDF. We think the best way ahead is for ceasefire around Kobane,” she says.
Agencies contributed to this report
The Times of Israel Community.