A senior diplomat has announced that the United States is dropping a $10m reward for the arrest of Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, after an uprising that toppled Bashar al-Assad, reports Al Jazeera.
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf made the announcement on Friday after she and other US officials visited the Syrian capital, Damascus, to hold talks with the new Syrian administration.
It was the first visit by US diplomats to Syria since al-Assad was removed from power earlier this month in a lightning offensive, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.
The US, however, had designated HTS a “terrorist” organisation in 2018. Al-Sharaa — also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani — is the group’s leader and was once aligned with al-Qaeda.
Leaf said the US decided to drop the reward for al-Sharaa after receiving “positive messages” during Friday’s discussions, including a promise to ensure that “terrorist” groups cannot pose a threat.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Leaf’s trip to Syria — alongside Daniel Rubinstein, a former special envoy for Syria, and the US government’s chief envoy for hostage affairs, Roger Carstens — came as Western countries have been mulling whether to lift “terrorist” designations for HTS.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
