A group of American officials inside Capital of Syria For the first time in more than 10 years, he is seeking information on, among other things, American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime.
The team visiting Damascus consists of US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, and Senior Advisor at the Hostage Affairs Agency Daniel Rubinstein, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The spokesman confirmed that Rubinstein, who previously served as a US special envoy to Syria and has decades of foreign affairs experience, will lead the diplomatic engagement.
Its mission is to deal with the Syrian people and the main parties inside the country. It is also seeking to coordinate with allies to advance the principles set out at a meeting between world leaders in the Jordanian city of Aqaba earlier this month.
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) Barbara Liff (left), US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens (center) and Senior Advisor for Near Eastern Affairs Daniel Rubinstein (right) are in Damascus, Syria, to engage in diplomatic, state-run diplomacy, the department's spokesperson told Fox. News Digital (Alex Wong/Getty Images; Mehmet Serkan Afaq/Anadolu via Getty Images; Gali Tipun Paul/Getty Images)
The trio will meet with the Syrian people to reveal their vision for their country after the fall of the Assad regime earlier this month amid an ongoing civil war. They will also wonder how the United States can help support them in their desired future.
“They will engage directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices,” the spokesperson said in part.
The three officials will also meet with representatives of… Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), The US has designated it a terrorist group, the US State Department said, “to discuss transitional principles” approved by the US and its regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan.
Abu Muhammad al-Julani leads the US-designated terrorist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which took control of Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. (Omar Haj Kaddour/AFP via Getty Images)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken We previously reported that world leaders discussed “the need for a comprehensive Syrian-led political transition” during the Aqaba meetings on Syria in Jordan on December 14.
Blinken said on Channel X: “The United States supports a future government in Syria that is chosen by all Syrians and their representatives.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on December 13 in Turkey to discuss greater stability in Syria amid rival rebel factions. (Getty Images)
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Another goal of the visit is to determine what happened to American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime, including former Navy journalist Austin Tice who worked as a freelancer. He was kidnapped while covering events in Syria In 2012.
Carstens has been leading the charge to locate Tice, and recently announced that the Rewards for Justice program was offering up to $10 million for information about his whereabouts.
The State Department's Reward for Justice Program is offering $10 million for information regarding Austin Tice. (State Department Reward for Justice)
“Given recent events in Syria, the FBI renews our call for information that could lead to the safe identification, recovery, and return of a location.” austin bennett tice, The FBI said in a statement: “Who was arrested in Damascus in August 2012.”
