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

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Dec 2024 21:39
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The US will continue to monitor the actions of the new Syrian regime, especially relating to the implementation of principles outlined by Washington.

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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".

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.

"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.

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.