A delegation of U.S. diplomats arrived in Syria to meet with representatives of several Syrian groups, including the rebels who overthrew the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad. Bloomberg writes about it, UNN reports .
The trip to Damascus, the first of its kind in more than a decade, will include meetings with “members of civil society, activists, representatives of various communities, and other Syrian figures about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them,” the State Department said in a statement early Friday morning.
The visit will also include at least one meeting with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that captured the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs with surprising speed, and then took Damascus this month.
Although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has publicly disassociated itself from al-Qaeda, it remains a terrorist organization in the United States and other countries.
American diplomats plan to “discuss the principles of transition endorsed by the United States and regional partners,” the State Department said in a statement. The agenda also includes an attempt to disclose information about the fate of American citizens who disappeared during the Assad regime.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States has received positive signals from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. “It's important to speak as clearly as we can, to listen to make sure we understand as best we can where they're going and where they want to go,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg Surveillance.
President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, has said that the United States should have “nothing to do” with Syria.