December 21, 2024
US scraps $10m bounty on Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa after ‘productive talks’
Listen to the article The United States has withdrawn a $10 million reward for the capture of Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s de facto leader, after productive diplomatic talks with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that toppled Bashar’s government al-Assad in a surprise move earlier this month. Barbara Leaf, the US Assistant Secretary of State, described the discussions with Sharaa as “very productive” and praised him as “realistic”. The US delegation, which included senior officials such as hostage envoy Roger Carstens, arrived in Damascus after HTS seized control of the capital, marking a major shift in Syria’s political


