Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: We reaffirm our absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people and call for the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: The goal of the Arab Summit is to unify our efforts and achieve the interests of the peoples of our region.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: We call for a political solution to end the conflict in Sudan.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: We condemn the Israeli attacks on Syria.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: We urge the international community to pressure for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: We reaffirm our absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people.
The closing statement of the Arab Summit: We renew our categorical rejection of any displacement of the Palestinian people.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Three people were martyred after the Israeli occupation bombed a group of civilians in Deir al-Balah, Central Gaza.
The Israeli occupation forces arrest a man from the al-Blata neighborhood west of Salfit in the occupied West Bank.
Local sources: Three members of the General Security Forces were captured, and one member was killed as a result of clashes with armed groups in the al-Jazmati neighborhood in Aleppo city

US scraps $10mln on Sharaa's head amid promises to protect US assets

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 20 Dec 2024 21:39
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

The US will continue to monitor the actions of the new Syrian regime, especially relating to the implementation of principles outlined by Washington.

Listen
  • x
  • US scraps $10 M on Syria's al-Sharaa who promised to protect US assets
    Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, on December 8, 2024. (AP)

The reward for the arrest of the leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has been scrapped by the United States, following talks between a senior official and al-Sharaa, on Friday. 

Barbara Leaf, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, met al-Sharaa on Friday and spoke to the press following the talks, which she described as "good" and "very productive".

"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 said.

The US had offered a $10 million reward for information that would lead to the arrest of al-Sharaa. Also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, al-Sharaa headed the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which remains an internationally terror-listed organization. 

Although al-Sharaa and HTS affiliates remain on Washington's terrorist blacklist, Leaf said that "it's a little incoherent, then, to have a bounty on the guy's head."

However, on the issue of sanctions, Leaf declined to discuss relevant deliberation. The United States will not discuss its deliberations with regard to lifting sanctions on Syria after a change of power in the Arab country, the Assistant Secretary of State said on Friday, as reported by Sputnik.

"I would just say that as a matter of course, we do not discuss deliberation over sanctions," Leaf told reporters.

She declined to clarify the details of her discussions but said her conversation with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was "positive".

Read more: US officials meet Sharaa, CENTCOM says took out ISIS leader in Syria

Outlining US demands for new Syrian regime

Leaf's trip to Damascus marked the first formal visit by US diplomats to the country since the war on Syria ensued. 

Related News

Gunmen raid Sayyida Zeinab, Idlib, detain civilians, torch homes

ISIS attacks al-Sharaa over Trump meeting, Syria political transition

"We welcomed positive messages," Leaf said, pointing to promises made by the Syrian leader on fighting terrorism in the region, whom she said "came across as pragmatic."

"We will be looking for progress on these principles and actions, not just words," the senior US official added.

"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 explained. 

A new Syrian state should also ensure that "terrorist groups" cannot pose a threat, she said.

"Ahmed al-Sharaa committed to this," Leaf said. "So, based on our discussion, I told him we would not be pursuing rewards for justice," she said, referring to a $10 million bounty that the US had put on the HTS leader's head.

In a related context, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs told reporters after visiting Damascus that Washington was working with Ankara and the SDF to find "a managed transition in terms of SDF's role in that part of the country."

"The conditions which led Kurds in northeast Syria to organise themselves and to defend themselves as they did, were one set of conditions and things have really changed in a very dramatic fashion," she said.

It is worth noting that US officials had scheduled a press conference following the meeting with al-Sharaa, however, the conference was canceled. Leaf denied reports that the conference was canceled due to security concerns, saying she was delayed by street celebrations. 

Read more: Erdogan: Turkiye will assist Syria with state structure, constitution

Scrapping reward for protection of US troops

Axios reporter Barak Ravid reported that Leaf said that the reward was scrapped after al-Sharaa pledged that "terrorist organizations" would not be allowed to operate in Syrian territory and threaten US interests or "neighboring countries".

Moreover, Leaf said her assessment of the current situation in Syria led her to conclude that "Iran will have no role whatsoever" in Syria. 

She also said she is working with Turkish authorities and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to reach a ceasefire in Kobane, in northern Syria. 

Read more: US doubled troop size in Syria before al-Assad's ouster, Pentagon says

  • Syria
  • United States
  • Ahmad al-Sharaa
  • US state department
  • Damascus
  • Barbara Leaf
  • HTS

Most Read

Two F-35 jets arrive at it's new operational base Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah. (AP)

F-35 near-misses over Yemen signal new risks for 'Israel': Forbes

  • Politics
  • 14 May 2025
Palestinians pray over bodies of people killed in the Israeli bombardment who were brought from the Shifa hospital before burying them in a mass grave in the town of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023. (AP )

Gaza casualty figures mask a much bigger horror, new study shows

  • Politics
  • 11 May 2025
Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

  • Politics
  • 15 May 2025
Abu Obaida

Abu Obeida posts shortly after Israeli reports about his assassination

  • Palestine
  • 15 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
A Microsoft sign and logo are pictured at the company's headquarters, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP)
Technology

Microsoft admits supplying AI to 'Israel' amid Gaza carnage

Israeli occupation’s tanks parked in a staging area near the border with Gaza, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP)
Politics

'Israel' launches multi-axis assault in Gaza under 'Gideon’s Chariots'

People stand at the train ticket counter of NJ Transit at Penn Station, amid a strike by New Jersey Transit train engineers, in New York, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP)
Economy

Commuters stranded amid first New Jersey railway strike in 40 years

Trump's tax bill stalls as Republican opposition demands deeper cuts
US & Canada

Trump's tax bill stalls as Republican opposition demands deeper cuts

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS