The U.S. to Cancel the Reward for the Arrest of Al-Julani; 'Iran Will Have No Role in Syria'

Following a visit by a group of American diplomats to Damascus, Washington announced that it will cancel the reward set for the capture of Ahmad al-Shar'aa, known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of the Syrian rebels, and that Iran will have no role in the future of Syria. The U.S. diplomatic delegation, led by Barbara Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, visited Damascus officially for the first time in 12 years after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and met with the rebel leader. Leaf assessed the talks between American officials and Ahmad al-Shar'aa positively during a press conference on Friday, December 30, stating that Washington welcomes his commitment to fighting terrorism. She also announced that in her conversation with the Syrian rebel leader, she informed him that the U.S. is canceling the reward for his capture under the 'Rewards for Justice' program, which had been ongoing for several years. The U.S. government had set a $10 million reward for al-Julani over the past decade due to his membership in extremist jihadist groups and placed him and his group on the terrorist list. Leaf emphasized the importance of broad participation and consultations during Syria's transitional period, adding, 'The U.S. is waiting for practical actions and will not settle for words.' According to this senior American diplomat, the United States 'fully supports a Syrian-led and owned political process; a process that leads to the establishment of an inclusive government that respects the rights of all Syrians, including women and diverse ethnic and religious communities.' The Assistant Secretary of State stated that after meeting with the Syrian rebel leader, she expects the Islamic Republic of Iran to have no further role in Syria. This American diplomat said, 'Based on my judgment today, Iran will have no role and should not have one.' Daniel Rubinstein, former U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, and Roger Carstens, senior representative of the Biden administration on American hostages, are other senior members of the U.S. diplomatic delegation that traveled to Damascus. The U.S. embassy in Damascus has been closed since 12 years ago, shortly after the onset of protests against Bashar al-Assad's regime and the civil war in the country, and this is the first time an American diplomatic delegation has officially visited Syria. According to the Associated Press, American officials have stated that this trip does not mean an immediate reopening of the U.S. embassy, and Washington will wait to assess the new rulers and their intentions and plans. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated ahead of this trip that American officials will discuss principles approved by Washington with a group of representatives from 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' in the port of Aqaba, Jordan. The U.S. State Department indicated that the diplomatic team sent to Syria will meet directly with the people, including members of the civil society of the country. Protecting religious and ethnic minorities, the necessity of combating terrorism, the care and transfer of chemical weapons left over from Bashar al-Assad's regime, alongside efforts to clarify the fate of Austin Tice, are the main topics that the Biden administration's diplomats will discuss with the transitional government officials in Syria. The Bashar al-Assad regime has denied any connection to the detention of Austin Tice and his fate. However, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, who has granted asylum to Bashar al-Assad in his country, stated on Thursday, December 29, during a press conference that he will soon meet with Bashar al-Assad and will ask him, who 'certainly' has information about this American journalist. The militia group under al-Julani's command, which has held a rebel government in Idlib province for the past eight years, has been labeled 'terrorist' by Turkey, Europe, the United Nations, and several other countries, but senior UN officials and some European countries have recently speculated that the 'terrorist' designation for 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' and al-Julani may be lifted. In recent days, delegations from regional countries such as Turkey and Qatar have traveled to Syria and met with Ahmad al-Shar'aa. Following them, Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, and delegations from Britain, Germany, and France also visited Damascus to meet with Mr. Shar'aa and officials of the transitional government. The administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden have sanctioned Bashar al-Assad and Syria, which has been supported militarily by Russia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Hezbollah Lebanon during the civil war and the massacre of protesters. Alongside the recent developments in Syria, the U.S. Department of Defense announced on December 29 that it has doubled its number of troops in Syria to combat the potential resurgence of ISIS before Bashar al-Assad's fall. Previously, the U.S. had 900 troops in Syria, who were allies and supporters of the Kurdish forces ruling over parts of the country. Recently, the U.S. has significantly increased airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria.