On Friday, the Biden administration announced that it will not pursue a $10 million reward for a Syrian rebel leader named Ahmad al-Sharaa. His group helped remove President Bashar Assad from power earlier this month. The decision came after al-Sharaa met with Barbara Leaf, the U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, in Damascus. This visit was the first by U.S. diplomats to Syria in over ten years.
Even though Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), al-Sharaa’s group, is still labeled a foreign terrorist organization, Leaf stated that al-Sharaa promised to renounce terrorism. Because of this, the U.S. decided to cancel the reward. Leaf emphasized the importance of preventing terrorist groups from threatening Syria or its neighbors, including the U.S.
Leaf’s team also discussed the need for a fair government in Syria and sought information about missing journalist Austin Tice. Roger Carstens, the U.S. envoy for hostages, said they have leads about Tice’s possible whereabouts and are focusing on six prisons where he might have been held.
Austin Tice went missing during the Syrian civil war and was last seen in a video blindfolded and surrounded by armed men. The U.S. continues its efforts to find him.
The visit didn’t mean the U.S. embassy in Damascus would reopen soon. The embassy is currently protected by the Czech government, and U.S. officials will decide on reopening it based on the new Syrian leadership’s actions.
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