The U.S. officials planned to discuss governance and look for signs of Austin Tice, a missing American journalist, as well as other U.S. citizens.According to The New York Times, U.S. officials have planned to engage in discussions about governance and search for any signs of Austin Tice, an American journalist who has been missing for several years, as well as other U.S. citizens. On Friday, senior American diplomats traveled to Damascus, the capital of Syria, to meet with the militias that currently control the country and various civil society groups. This is the first time American diplomats have entered Damascus since the collapse of the previous government. Their goal is to help shape the political landscape of Syria after the recent downfall of Bashar al-Assad, the long-time autocratic leader who ordered mass atrocities during the country’s civil war. The United States cut off diplomatic ties with Syria in 2012, a year after the atrocities were committed.
This visit marks a tentative step towards engagement in Syria, a country where U.S. policy has primarily involved military action rather than diplomacy in recent years. The Biden administration has been in contact with militia leaders, but has struggled with how to directly engage with them, as the United States has designated the main rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as a terrorist organization. This visit is part of a series of meetings between rebel leaders and Western officials who are seeking to gradually open channels with the new Syrian authorities. Since al-Assad’s removal from power this month, diplomats from Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, and other countries have also visited Damascus. Qatar and Turkey are also in the process of reopening their embassies there.
This diplomatic effort is taking place during a realignment in the Middle East, where Syria has been a major power and a symbol of Arab rule by a single family for decades. During the country’s nearly 14-year civil war, at least six foreign militaries were involved, including Iran, Russia, and the United States. The U.S. diplomats on this visit will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, and members of different communities, to hear their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can support them. The State Department stated that the purpose of this visit is to gather information and engage with the Syrian people, not to negotiate with the current government.
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