The US government is withdrawing the bounty placed on the head of the Islamic militia HTS in Syria. There were “positive messages” in the conversation with the new rulers, US Middle East representative Barbara Leaf said on Friday.
“Based on our conversation, I told him that we were eliminating the reward (…) which had been suspended for several years,” Leaf said. She traveled with other US diplomats to the Syrian capital Damascus on Friday to meet the leader of the Islamic militia Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS), Mohammed al-Golani. He now appears under his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The White House and other Western governments still officially call the HTS a terrorist organization.
The US State Department announced before the trip to Syria that meetings were also planned with activists, members of minorities and civil society representatives. Fair treatment of ethnic and religious minorities is central to the new transitional government. Just a few days after the fall of former ruler Assad, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his government was in direct contact with the HTS militia. Assad overthrew them along with allied groups on December 8.
efforts of other countries
The governments of Germany, France, Great Britain and the EU are also currently trying to establish new contacts with the new rulers in Syria. This includes stabilizing the situation and obtaining clarity about the planned course of action. An EU delegation will travel to Damascus on Monday.
The HTS militia has so far promised, among other things, to protect the rights of all Syrians. It originally emerged from the Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. However, according to her own statements, she has had no ties to the terrorist network since 2016 and now presents herself in a moderate manner.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
