by Our Correspondent in Doha
following the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, met with representatives of various military factions in Damascus to chart a unified future for the country’s armed forces. The discussions centered on consolidating the disparate military groups into a single institution under the oversight of the Ministry of Defense.
The move signals an effort to stabilize the war-torn nation and forge a cohesive national military structure after years of fragmentation and conflict.
Meanwhile, the United States announced it is dropping a $10 million bounty for the capture of al-Sharaa. The decision, made public by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, follows a recent diplomatic breakthrough in Damascus. This marks the first visit by US diplomats to Syria in over a decade.
The US delegation engaged in discussions with the new Syrian administration, receiving what Leaf described as “positive messages.” Al-Sharaa reportedly pledged to prevent any resurgence of terrorist groups in Syria, a significant concern given his past as the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group previously designated as a terrorist organization by the US in 2018. HTS, under his leadership, played a pivotal role in the recent uprising that toppled al-Assad.
“Based on our discussion, I told him we would not be pursuing the Rewards for Justice reward offer that has been in effect for some years,” Leaf said, emphasizing that the decision was contingent on assurances from the new leadership about maintaining regional and international security.
