Syria agrees to help locate missing Americans: US envoy
DAMASCUS: Syria's new authorities have agreed to help the United States locate and return Americans who went missing in the country, a US envoy said on Sunday, in another sign of thawing bilateral ties. The announcement came a day after the United States formally lifted sanctions on Syria, ending more than a decade of diplomatic freeze.
Relations have steadily improved since former president Bashar Al-Assad was overthrown last December. 'The new Syrian government has agreed to assist the USA in locating and returning USA citizens or their remains,' US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack wrote on X, describing it as a 'powerful step forward'. 'The families of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and Kayla Mueller must have closure,' he added, referring to American citizens who had gone missing or been killed during Syria's devastating civil war that erupted in 2011.
Tice was working as a freelance journalist for Agence France-Presse, The Washington Post, and other outlets when he was detained at a checkpoint in August 2012. Kamalmaz, a Syrian-American psychotherapist, was believed to have died after being detained under the Assad government in 2017. Mueller was an aid worker kidnapped by the Islamic State group, which announced her death in February 2015, saying she was killed in a Jordanian air strike, a claim disputed by US authorities.
'President (Donald) Trump has made it clear that bringing home USA citizens or honoring, with dignity, their remains is a major priority everywhere,' said Barrack, who also serves as the US ambassador to Turkey. 'The new Syrian Government will aid us in this commitment,' he added.
Americans killed by IS
A Syrian source aware of the talks between the two countries told AFP there were 11 other names on Washington's list, all of them Syrian-Americans. The source added that a Qatari delegation began this month, at Washington's request, a search mission for the remains of American hostages killed by IS.
Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile said that 'the Qatari delegation is still searching in Aleppo province for the bodies of American citizens executed by IS'. Two US journalists, James Foley and Stephen Sotloff, were videotaped in 2014 being beheaded by a militant who spoke on camera with a British accent.
El Shafee Elsheikh, a jihadist from London, was found guilty in 2022 of hostage-taking and conspiracy to murder US citizens — Foley and Sotloff, as well as aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.
The formal lifting of US sanctions also coincided with Syria's new authorities reshuffling their interior ministry to include fighting cross-border drug and people smuggling, as they seek to improve ties with the West. The lifting of sanctions paves the way for reconstruction efforts in the war-torn country, where authorities are relying on foreign assistance to help foot the enormous cost of rebuilding.
The sanctions relief is on condition that Syria does not provide a safe haven for terrorist organizations and ensures security for religious and ethnic minorities, the US Treasury Department said. Trump shook hands with Syria's jihadist-turned-interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa earlier this month during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
Al-Sharaa in Turkey
Barrack's statement comes a day after he met Al-Sharaa, in Istanbul, during his third visit to Turkey since the fall of Al-Assad. The Syrian presidency said on Sunday that Al-Sharaa and his accompanying delegation met with Turkish officials in Ankara, including Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and financial officials.
Yilmaz said in a statement that they discussed 'deepening our economic cooperation in the new period', adding that his country will 'continue to provide all kinds of support to the Syrian people in their peace, development and reconstruction process'.
As part of Syria's efforts to strengthen its institutions, the interior ministry appointed new security chiefs in 12 provinces on Sunday. It did not say how the chiefs were chosen nor did it share much information about them, but the list includes former security officials in Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, the Al-Sharaa-led group that spearheaded the December offensive.
The new authorities faced criticism when military appointments in December included six foreign fighters. After meeting Al-Sharaa in Riyadh this month, US President Donald Trump demanded that 'foreign terrorists' leave Syria. Damascus had previously told Washington in a letter that it would 'freeze the promotions of foreign fighters' and form a committee to review previous promotions, according to a Syrian source with knowledge of the letter. The source requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media on the topic. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Arab Times
Israel Bombs Iranian Nuclear Facilities in Arak
TEHRAN, June 19 (AP): Israel's military said its fighter jets targeted the Arak facility and its reactor core seal to halt it from being used to produce plutonium. 'The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development,' the military said. Israel separately claimed to have struck another site around Natanz it described as being related to Iran's nuclear program. Iranian state TV said there was 'no radiation danger whatsoever' from the attack on the Arak site. An Iranian state television reporter, speaking live in the nearby town of Khondab, said the facility had been evacuated and there was no damage to civilian areas around the reactor. Israel had warned earlier Thursday morning it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. However, it also enriches uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich at that level. Israel is the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East but does not acknowledge having such weapons. The strikes came a day after Iran's supreme leader rejected U.S. calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage to them.' Israel had lifted some restrictions on daily life Wednesday, suggesting the missile threat from Iran on its territory was easing. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group said at least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded. In retaliation, Iran has fired some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds. Arak had been redesigned to address nuclear concerns The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran. Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon. Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns. The reactor became a point of contention after President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. Ali Akbar Salehi, a high-ranking nuclear official in Iran, said in 2019 that Tehran bought extra parts to replace a portion of the reactor that it had poured concrete into to render it unusable under the deal. Israel, in conducting its strike, signaled it remained concerned the facility could be used to produce plutonium again one day. 'The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development,' the Israeli military said in a statement. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has been urging Israel not to strike Iranian nuclear sites. IAEA inspectors reportedly last visited Arak on May 14. Due to restrictions Iran imposed on inspectors, the IAEA has said it lost 'continuity of knowledge' about Iran's heavy water production -- meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran's production and stockpile. As part of negotiations around the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to sell off its heavy water to the West to remain in compliance with the accord's terms. Even the U.S. purchased some 32 tons of heavy water for over $8 million in one deal. That was one issue that drew criticism from opponents to the deal.
Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Putin T-shirts, robots and Taleban - but few Westerners at Davos
SAINT PETERSBURG: Russia's flagship economic forum kicked off Wednesday with stalls selling Vladimir Putin-themed merchandise and humanoid robots, but Westerners were few and far between—despite warming ties between Moscow and Washington under Donald Trump. Once dubbed 'Russia's Davos', the annual Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is designed to attract foreign investment and is the biggest showcase of Russian technology and business. Some 20,000 guests from 140 countries are set to take part in the forum over the next four days, both online and in person, according to the Kremlin. But for the fourth year running high-profile European and American representatives have been absent amid Moscow's offensive on Ukraine, a stark contrast to before the conflict, when some Western leaders would attend. Among the states sending high-level government figures this year are the likes of China, Vietnam, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso. Taleban officials were also spotted at the expo, amid Russia's push to normalize ties with the militant Islamist group. Russian officials said some Western executives will attend. 'American business representatives, but I can't say at what level,' Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters at a briefing Tuesday. According to the official program, not a particularly high one. A panel on Thursday, titled simply 'Russia-USA', will feature the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, some private investors, the founder of a microphone manufacturer and head of a crypto project. But in one high-profile win for Putin, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto skipped an invitation to the G7 in Canada, choosing instead to meet Putin and attend SPIEF. Humanoid robot Among the events on the first day of the forum were panels focused on artificial intelligence and investment in the Global South. Russia has channeled its economic interests away from the West and towards emerging markets in Asia and Africa due to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. One stand handed out T-shirts featuring quotes from Vladimir Putin and other government officials. One from Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov read: 'Why the hell did I come here?' Technology was also on display. A humanoid robot flaunting a Dior handbag was seen walking around the exhibits. The forum comes amid intense speculation in Russia about the prospect of sanctions relief and the return of Western firms that left the country after Moscow launched its offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. Hundreds of companies sold off, abandoned or gave away their Russian operations—ranging from McDonald's and Nike to Ford and Goldman Sachs. Putin has at times blasted them for departing, warned they will not be allowed to return and said Russia is better off without them. He has also introduced punitive counter-sanctions, restricting the ability of firms from so-called 'unfriendly' countries from accessing their profits and imposing huge exit fees and taxes on any wishing to leave. Trump's return to the White House and opening of diplomacy with Russia led to a frenzy of headlines in Russian media about whether he would ease US sanctions. Russia's top economic negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, said Wednesday that the United States may 'in the next couple of months' announce joint projects with Russia in the Arctic, without elaborating. 'The very important process of improving relations between American society and American companies towards Russia is currently underway,' he was quoted as saying by state media. Once a fixture of Europe's business calendar, SPIEF was where Western leaders, CEOs and major investors gathered to seal deals on entering and expanding their footprint in Chancellor Angela Merkel attended in 2013, as did Mark Rutte, the Netherlands' prime minister and now the Secretary General of NATO—the man marshalling the military alliance's response to Putin's Ukraine offensive. Its prestige started to dip after 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and was hit with the first tranche of Western sanctions. But even as recently as 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japan's then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sat on stage alongside Putin. — AFP
Arab Times
4 days ago
- Arab Times
Iran's supreme leader rejects call to surrender as Israel strikes Tehran
TEHRAN, Iran, June 18, (AP): Explosions were heard in Iran's capital as Israeli warplanes pounded Tehran overnight and into Wednesday. Less than a week into the conflict, Israel says its aircraft have free rein over the city's skies. Iran launched a small barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties, and Israel has eased some restrictions for civilians. Meanwhile, fear has gripped the Iranian capital as the streets are empty, businesses closed, and communications patchy at best. Thousands have fled. Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday rejected U.S. calls for surrender and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage' to them. U.S. President Donald Trump initially distanced himself from Israel's surprise attack on Friday that triggered the conflict, but in recent days has hinted at greater American involvement, saying he wants something "much bigger' than a ceasefire. The U.S. has also sent more military aircraft and warships to the region. Late Wednesday afternoon, internet access across Iran crashed. Authorities offered no immediate explanation. Just after 4 p.m. local time, a likely Israeli airstrike sent a giant plume of gray smoke skyward in the eastern reaches of Tehran. It wasn't immediately clear what was targeted. Israel is easing some restrictions for civilians that have frozen the country in place over the past week, the military announced on Wednesday, six days into the confrontation with Iran. While schools are still closed, people will begin returning to workplaces where there is access to shelters. Restrictions are being eased further in areas along Israel's periphery, which have been targeted fewer times than the country's center. "This decision to gradually open the economy in the various regions is a message of victory over the Iranian enemy,' Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. Iran has fired fewer missiles as the conflict has worn on, allowing Israeli air defense systems greater accuracy with interceptions. State television has aired footage of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei giving a statement that was read out by a TV anchor a short while ago. The footage strikingly contrasted against the high-quality recording typically produced of his speeches, with his voice echoing as he sat in a room with beige curtains behind him. A portrait of Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who Khamenei succeeded, was over his left shoulder, with an Iranian flag to his right. Khamenei warned the United States that joining the Israeli strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will "result in irreparable damage for them.' Germany's foreign minister has underlined European countries' willingness to talk to Iran about a solution to the crisis over its nuclear program. But he says there needs to be movement from Tehran. Johann Wadephul said Wednesday that "it is never too late to come to the negotiating table, if you come with honest intentions.' He spoke two days after he held a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi along with his French and British counterparts and the European Union foreign policy chief. Wadephul said the European officials made clear that their countries -- which were part of Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers -- "still stand ready to negotiate on a solution.' But he added that "Iran must now move urgently. Iran must take confidence-building and verifiable measures,' including a credible statement that Tehran is not striving for a nuclear weapon. The European Union has helped evacuated about 400 its citizens out of Israel via Jordan and Egypt as part of its efforts to coordinate emergency response to the conflict within the 27 nations of the bloc. "Up till now, we have an estimate that over 400 EU citizens were repatriated via this civil protection mechanism of the EU,' said Eva Hrncirova in Brussels on Wednesday. She said the EU was fielding requests by Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, and Poland for assistance in evacuating from the Middle East. "Member states coordinate the list and we co-finance these flights up to the 75% of the transport costs,' she said. Iran's supreme leader has warned the United States that joining the Israeli strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will "result in irreparable damage for them.'
