US Scraps $10m Bounty For Arrest Of Syria’s New Leader Sharaa

The United States has withdrawn its $10 million (£7.9 million) bounty for the capture of Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, following high-level discussions between U.S. diplomats and representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf described the meeting with Sharaa as “very productive,” noting that he appeared “pragmatic” in his approach.

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The U.S. delegation arrived in Damascus, marking the first formal American diplomatic visit to Syria in over a decade. This comes less than two weeks after HTS ousted the Bashar al-Assad regime, which had ruled Syria for more than two decades. Despite ongoing U.S. designation of HTS as a terrorist organization, the visit signals a potential shift in international relations as efforts intensify to influence Syria’s post-Assad governance.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed the delegation discussed key issues, including U.S.-supported principles for political transition, regional developments, and counterterrorism cooperation against the Islamic State (IS). They also sought information on Americans who disappeared under Assad’s regime, including journalist Austin Tice, abducted in 2012, and psychotherapist Majd Kamalmaz, missing since 2017.

The diplomatic mission was led by Assistant Secretary Leaf, President Joe Biden’s hostage envoy Roger Carstens, and senior adviser Daniel Rubinstein from the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. During their visit, the team also met with civil society groups and local communities to discuss their vision for Syria’s future and explore U.S. support for inclusive governance.

While the U.S. continues to classify HTS as a terrorist organization, it appears to be exerting pressure on the group to transition towards a more inclusive and non-sectarian government. Washington has laid out conditions for potentially delisting HTS, a crucial step that could pave the way for easing sanctions and delivering much-needed economic relief to Damascus.

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Barbara Leaf denied earlier reports that a scheduled press conference was cancelled due to security concerns, attributing the delay instead to “street celebrations.”

In a related development, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful elimination of IS leader Abu Yusif and two of his operatives in an airstrike conducted in Syria’s Deir al-Zour province. The strike, carried out in a region formerly controlled by Assad’s regime and Russian forces, underscores U.S. efforts to prevent IS from regaining strength amidst Syria’s political upheaval.

General Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, stated the U.S. remains committed to ensuring IS does not exploit the current instability to reconstitute its forces, particularly its goal to free over 8,000 detained IS militants in Syria.

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