A delegation of US officials, including the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, visited Damascus, Syria for the first time in over 10 years. Their mission involves gathering information on missing American citizens, engaging with the Syrian people, and coordinating with allies on a political transition.
A group of U.S. officials are in Syria's capital for the first time in more than 10 years seeking information on American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime, among other things. The team 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 told Fox News Digital. Rubinstein, who previously served as U.S.
Special Envoy for Syria and has decades of foreign affairs experience, will lead the diplomatic engagement, the spokesperson confirmed. His mission is to engage with the Syrian people and key parties within the country. He also seeks to coordinate with allies to advance principles laid out in a meeting between world leaders in the Jordanian city of Aqaba earlier this month. The trio will meet with the Syrian people to uncover their vision for their country after the Assad regime fell earlier this month amid an ongoing civil war. They will also ask how the U.S. can help support them in their desired future. 'They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices,' the spokesperson said, in part. The three officials will also meet with representatives of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated terrorist group, to 'discuss transition principles' endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan, the State Department said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously noted that world leaders discussed 'the need for an inclusive, Syrian-led political transition' during the Aqaba Meetings on Syria in Jordan on Dec. 1
SYRIA US OFFICIALS DIPLOMACY HOSTAGE AFFAIRS POLITICAL TRANSITION
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
US Diplomats Visit Syria for First Time in Over a DecadeA team of US diplomats has arrived in Damascus to meet with Syria's new leadership and inquire about the missing diplomats.
Read more »
US Diplomats Visit Syria for First Time in DecadeA team of US diplomats, including former special envoy for Syria Daniel Rubinstein and the Biden administration’s chief envoy for hostage negotiations, Roger Carstens, have visited Damascus to meet with Syria's new leaders and inquire about the missing US officials.
Read more »
US Officials Visit Damascus for First Time Since Assad's FallSenior U.S. officials have traveled to Damascus for the first diplomatic mission to Syria since the departure of Bashar al-Assad. The delegation aims to meet with various groups, including the de facto governing HTS rebel organization, to discuss a peaceful transition and the fate of missing Americans.
Read more »
Blinken's visit highlights US-Türkiye talks on Syria and securityUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Ankara spotlights crucial discussions with Türkiye on the PKK/YPG terror group, Syria's future, and regional stability amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.
Read more »
Blinken Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq in Syria Diplomacy EffortBlinken said he spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani about the situation in Syria after the Assad regime's fall.
Read more »
Netanyahu Makes Unprecedented Visit to Mount Hermon in SyriaIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the summit of Mount Hermon, a strategic location in southern Syria, asserting Israel's continued presence in a newly controlled buffer zone.
Read more »