US diplomats cancel briefing in Damascus over security concerns | Global News Avenue

A news conference by U.S. diplomats in Syria following a meeting with Syria’s new leadership has been canceled due to “security concerns,” the U.S. Embassy said.

Officials did not say what the concerns were but later confirmed they had met with representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and a briefing would in fact be held later on Friday.

Soon after, the U.S. military said it had killed an Islamic State (IS) leader in an airstrike in Syria.

A U.S. delegation arrived in the capital, Damascus, less than two weeks after HTS overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad but Washington still labels it a terrorist organization.

A State Department spokesman confirmed that diplomats discussed U.S.-backed “transitional principles,” regional events and the need to fight Islamic State.

The spokesman confirmed that officials are also seeking more information about U.S. citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime, including journalists Austin Tice Psychotherapist kidnapped in Damascus in 2012 Then came Kamal Maz. Missing people in 2017.

The visit is the first official U.S. presence in Damascus in more than a decade.

It is a further sign of how dramatic changes are taking place in Syria since Assad was overthrown, and of the speed with which the United States and Europe (which also rely on Arab states) are trying to influence its emerging governance.

It comes days after visits from the United Nations and other countries including Britain, France and Germany.

The delegation of senior officials includes Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, U.S. President Joe Biden’s hostage envoy Roger Carstens and Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs senior adviser Daniel Rubinstein.

The spokesman also said the delegation engaged with Syrian civil society groups and members of different communities “to learn about their vision for the country’s future and how the United States can help support them.”

This meeting demonstrated preparations for dealing with HTS. The United States still designates HTS a terrorist organization but is applying pressure to transition to an inclusive, non-sectarian government.

Washington effectively laid out a series of conditions before considering delisting the group, a key step that could help pave the way for the sanctions relief Damascus desperately needs.

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that Islamic State leader Abu Yusef and two of his operatives were killed in an airstrike in Deir ez-Zor province in northeastern Syria.

It said in a statement on Friday that the airstrikes were launched on Thursday and were carried out in areas previously controlled by Assad’s regime and Russian forces that support his government.

Gen. Michael Eric Kurila, commander of U.S. Central Command, said the United States would not allow Islamic State to “take advantage of the current situation in Syria to reorganize,” adding that the group intended to release more than 8,000 ISIS prisoners held in Syria militants.