After announcing it had more than doubled the number of US troops in Syria, Washington sent a diplomatic delegation to meet with new leaders in Damascus.
The US State Department announced that US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs Barbara Leaf and a number of other diplomats arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus yesterday (December 20) to meet representatives of the new Syrian government led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, according to Reuters. The US State Department said that during the meeting, US officials are expected to discuss with HTS representatives a series of principles Washington wants to include in Syria's political transition, including respect for minority rights.
US soldiers patrol near an oil field in northeastern Syria in 2023.
Protests in Damascus
Hundreds of Syrians protested in central Damascus on December 19, calling for democracy and the protection of women's rights, according to AFP. "We want a democracy, not a religious state," protesters chanted in Damascus' Umayyad Square. Some protesters held banners that read: "There is no free country without free women."
Originating from the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda and considered a terrorist organization by some Western governments, HTS has recently pledged to protect many religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.
This is the first formal, face-to-face meeting between Washington and Syria’s de facto leadership since HTS led a coalition to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad on December 8. The meeting comes as Western governments open channels of communication with HTS, and begin debating whether to remove the group from the list of terrorist organizations.
US doubles troops stationed in Syria
US more than doubles troops in Syria
The visit comes after US President Joe Biden described the fall of al-Assad as a historic opportunity for the Syrian people, but warned that Syria was facing a period of risk and instability. Washington remains concerned that the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group could seize the opportunity to revive.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder announced on December 19 that Washington has more than doubled the number of US troops in Syria to 2,000 this year as part of the campaign against IS. For years, Washington has said it has about 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of international efforts to fight IS.
Washington has carried out periodic airstrikes and raids in recent years to prevent IS from resurgent. However, the US has stepped up its airstrikes since the fall of the al-Assad regime, hitting areas previously protected by Syrian and Russian air defenses.
At a press conference on December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the fall of the al-Assad regime was not a "failure" for Moscow because it had achieved its goals in Syria, according to AFP. Russia currently has two military bases in Syria.
"We maintain contacts with all those who control the situation there, with all the countries in the region. Most of them say they are interested in us continuing to maintain military bases there," Putin stressed.
Trump says Türkiye orchestrated operation to overthrow Syrian president
Türkiye, Iran call for unity
Also on December 19, at a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries in Cairo, the leaders of Turkey and Iran called for unity in Syria, according to AFP. Speaking at the conference, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope for "the establishment of a Syria free of terrorism" where "all religions and ethnic groups live together peacefully". Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for "the participation of all groups in Syria in the future government as well as respect for different beliefs and religions".
Meanwhile, a source from the Turkish Defense Ministry revealed on December 19 that Ankara would continue its military operations until the Kurdish YPG force "disarms", arguing that Turkey is facing a constant threat along its border with northern Syria, according to AFP. The YPG makes up the majority of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by Washington, but is viewed by Ankara as an extension of its domestic enemy, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-tang-cuong-hoat-dong-o-syria-185241220222824365.htm
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