The US has canceled an award for Syria’s new leader after a meeting in Damascus

Washington has canceled a long-standing bounty for the arrest of Syria’s new leader, a senior US diplomat said on Friday, after “positive messages” from the first meeting, which included a pledge to fight terrorism, AFP reports. UNN.

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Barbara Leaf, Washington’s top diplomat for the Middle East, made the announcement after meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus – the first official mission of US diplomats to the Syrian capital since the early days of the Syrian civil war.

The lightning offensive that ousted President Bashar al-Assad on December 8 was led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has roots in the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda but has sought to soften its image in recent years.

Leaf’s meeting with the leader of KhTSH Sharaa took place despite the fact that Washington recognized his group as a terrorist organization six years ago.

“Based on our discussion, I told him that we will not pursue the Justice Award,” Leaf told reporters.

After their talks, “it’s a little inconsistent that there’s a bounty on the guy’s head,” she said, welcoming his message.

“We will make progress on these principles and actions, not just words,” she said.

After the meeting, a statement from Syria’s new leaders said they wanted to contribute to regional peace.

“The Syrian people are at an equal distance from all countries and parties in the region… Syria rejects any polarization,” the statement said.

Leaf said she told Sharaa about the “critical need to ensure that terrorist groups do not pose a threat inside or outside of Syria, including to the United States and our partners in the region.”

“Ahmed al-Sharaa is in favor of it,” she said.

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During a regional tour before the talks in Aqaba, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken emphasized the need to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

The US military said on Friday that its forces had killed an IS leader and another militant in Deir ez-Zor province, part of an escalating US war against the group since the ouster of Assad.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supported Assad’s opponents, emphasized the need for reconciliation and the restoration of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.

Turkey is putting pressure on Kurdish forces in Syria, and Erdogan said on Friday it was time to destroy “terrorist” groups operating in the country, including IS and Kurdish fighters.

“ISIS, the PKK and their affiliates that threaten the survival of Syria must be eradicated,” he told reporters after the summit in Cairo, referring to IS and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, respectively.

The autonomous administration in northeastern Syria is under the protection of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which are mainly made up of the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey accuses the YPG of being an affiliate of the PKK, which both Washington and Ankara consider a terrorist group.

Kurdish leaders in Syria welcomed Assad’s ouster and raised the three-star flag of the independence-era rebels, but many in the region fear continued attacks by Turkey and its allies.

Leaf said Washington was calling for a ceasefire between Turkish-backed forces and the SDF around the Kurdish-held Syrian border town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab.

During a visit to Ankara on Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock warned of the dangers of any “escalation” of fighting, saying: “Security, especially for the Kurds, is crucial for a free and secure future for Syria.”

Iran and Russia have long helped support Assad, but Leaf said on Friday that she expects a complete end to Iran’s involvement in Syria.

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Amy Pope, head of the UN migration agency, on Friday called on the “interim government to continue to empower women as they will be critical to the country’s recovery.”

The Pope also called for a review of a number of international sanctions against Syria to help the country recover.

The civil war in Syria has killed more than 500,000 people and led to millions of refugees.

On Friday, almost two weeks after the fall of Assad and his escape to Moscow, Syrians continued to celebrate.

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