A bunch of U.S. officers are in Syria’s capital for the primary time in additional than 10 years looking for data on American residents who disappeared beneath the Assad regime, amongst different issues.
The group visiting Damascus consists of US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) Barbara Leaf and NEA Senior Adviser Daniel Rubinstein, a State Department spokesperson advised Fox News Digital.
Rubinstein, who beforehand served as U.S. Special Envoy for Syria and has a long time of overseas affairs expertise, will lead the diplomatic engagement, the spokesperson confirmed.
His mission is to have interaction with the Syrian individuals and key events throughout the nation. He additionally seeks to coordinate with allies to advance ideas specified by a gathering between world leaders within the Jordanian metropolis of Aqaba earlier this month.
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Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) Barbara Leaf (left), US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens (center) and NEA Senior Adviser Daniel Rubinstein (proper) are in Damascus, Syria, for a diplomatic engagement, a State Department spokesperson advised Fox News Digital (Alex Wong/Getty Images; Mehmet Serkan afak/Anadolu through Getty Images; Gali Tibbon-Pool/Getty Images)
The trio will meet with the Syrian individuals to uncover their imaginative and prescient for his or her nation after the Assad regime fell earlier this month amid an ongoing civil struggle. They will even ask how the U.S. can assist assist them of their desired future.
“They might be participating immediately with the Syrian individuals, together with members of civil society, activists, members of various communities, and different Syrian voices,” the spokesperson mentioned, partially.
The three officers will even meet with representatives of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated terrorist group, to “talk about transition ideas” endorsed by the United States and regional companions in Aqaba, Jordan, the State Department mentioned.
Abu Mohamed al-Jolani leads the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that took over Syria following the autumn of the Assad regime. (OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP through Getty Images)
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken beforehand famous that world leaders mentioned “the necessity for an inclusive, Syrian-led political transition” through the Aqaba Meetings on Syria in Jordan on Dec. 14.
“The United States helps a future authorities in Syria that’s chosen by and representatives of all Syrians,” Blinken mentioned on X.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan on Dec. 13 in Turkey to debate establishing higher stability in Syria amid competing insurgent factions. (Getty Images)
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Another objective of the go to is to find out what has occurred to American residents who disappeared beneath the Assad regime, together with former marine turned freelance journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria in 2012.
Carstens has been main the cost to find Tice and just lately shared that Rewards for Justice is providing as much as $10 million for data on his whereabouts.
The State Department’s Reward for Justice program is providing $10 million for data relating Austin Tice. (The State Department’s Reward for Justice)
“Given current occasions in Syria, the FBI is renewing our name for data that might result in the secure location, restoration, and return of Austin Bennett Tice, who was detained in Damascus in August 2012,” the FBI mentioned in an announcement.
