The new government led by the Islamist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria yesterday issued a statement stating its stance of equality with all countries and other parties in the region, opposing polarization.
According to AFP, the new administration wants to "affirm Syria's role in promoting regional peace and building a privileged strategic partnership with countries in the region."
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US conditions
The statement came after a US diplomatic delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf visited Damascus for the first time since the change of government to discuss the upcoming relationship. The US has set out principles for recognizing the new government in Syria, including ensuring inclusiveness, respecting the rights of minorities and not providing a platform for extremist groups to operate.
Syrians set off fireworks to celebrate the passing of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on December 20.
Barbara Leaf said HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was committed to the offer and described the meeting as going well with positive results. "It was a good first meeting. We will judge by actions, not just words," the diplomat stressed, adding that the US would lift the $10 million reward for al-Sharaa's capture.
HTS was once an al-Qaeda affiliate and is considered a "terrorist organization" by the US and many others. However, the group insists it has broken with its past and stressed its commitment to rebuilding the country after years of civil war. Since HTS seized power earlier this month following the departure of Mr. al-Assad and Russian forces, many Western governments and the UN have made diplomatic contacts with the new Syrian government. Iran, Mr. al-Assad's ally, is also said to be trying to "save" its influence over the new government in Damascus, according to The Guardian. However, Ms. Leaf said Syria should cut off any Iranian influence going forward.
Syrian children play on an abandoned tank in Homs on December 20.
The Kurdish problem
One of the major challenges for the new administration will be how to deal with the Kurdish forces that control northeastern Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US ally in the fight against the Islamic State (IS), are made up largely of the YPG, a Kurdish militia. Turkey views the YPG as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is banned by Ankara and Washington. Since the fall of the al-Assad regime, Turkey and its backers have attacked Kurdish areas in northern Syria and have warned of military intervention if HTS does not address the issue properly and Western allies do not end their support for the Kurdish fighters.
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In a statement on December 20, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he wanted to see a new Syria with harmony among all ethnicities and religions, on the condition that IS and PKK-YPG must be eliminated.
Speaking after a visit to Damascus, Ms. Barbara Leaf said she was working with Türkiye and the SDF to find "a controlled transition for the SDF's role in northeast Syria".
During a visit to Ankara on December 20, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned of the risk of escalating hostilities between Turkey and the Kurds, according to Reuters. Ms. Baerbock stressed that the security of the Kurds was "a key factor for a free and secure Syria" but that Türkiye's concerns must also be addressed to ensure stability. "Kurdish groups must give up their weapons and be integrated into the national security structure," the German foreign minister proposed.
UN extends patrols in Syria
The UN Security Council on December 20 extended by six months the peacekeeping mission in the buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The demilitarized buffer zone was created after the 1959-1965 Israel-Syria War.
The Israeli army entered the area after opposition forces toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. Israel says its presence is temporary to ensure border security but has not set a date for its withdrawal.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-tim-cho-dung-tai-syria-185241221232457177.htm
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