Egypt Daily News – On Friday, US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf informed the new leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa (known as Muhammad al-Julani), that Washington had canceled the financial reward allocated to anyone who provides information that would help in his arrest.
“Based on our conversations, I informed him that we will not pursue the implementation of the Rewards for Justice program offer that has been in effect for several years,” Lev told reporters after meeting with Al-Sharaa in Damascus.
American diplomacy explained that the decision to cancel the reward for the arrest of Al-Sharaa was political and in line with discussions with Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham about America’s interests. She added that American diplomats met with Al-Sharaa and held a “good” meeting with him about the future of the political transition in the country.
She indicated that officials discussed the need to ensure that terrorist groups are not able to pose a threat inside or outside Syria, which Al-Sharaa stressed his commitment to.
She stated that “based on today’s data, Iran will have no role at all, and should not have any role” in Syria and stressed that “Washington will provide technical expertise and other support to Syria to deal with the documentation of Assad’s crimes, and that mass graves will be a priority for the American government.”
Regarding the situation in northern Syria, Lev said that the best way there is a ceasefire around Kobani and a “tight transition” regarding the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces in this part of the country.
American diplomacy indicated that the circumstances that prompted the Kurds in northeastern Syria to organize themselves and defend themselves have changed very significantly. In turn, Reuters quoted American diplomats as saying: “We have received a lot of information about journalist Austin Tice, but it does not confirm in any way whether he is alive.”
Earlier, an American diplomatic delegation headed by Lev arrived and met with the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Ahmed al-Shara. The delegation included, in addition to Lev, presidential envoy for hostage affairs, Roger Carstens, and newly appointed advisor Daniel Rubensti.
The visit is the first by American diplomats to Damascus since the Syrian opposition overthrew Assad. The United States severed diplomatic relations with Syria and closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012.
The United States classified Al-Sharaa, also known as Muhammad Al-Julani, on the terrorist lists in 2013 and allocated a financial reward of $10 million for any information leading to his arrest.
