U.S. Confirms Meeting with Syrian Officials in New York

By Laurie Mylroie

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) - Addressing reporters at a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that U.S. officials had recently met with officials of Syria’s new interim government.

The event, on Tuesday, April 29, marked the first such meeting between the two parties.

In addition, later on Thursday, Bruce released a statement calling on Syria’s interim authorities to halt the attacks on the country’s Druze minority and hold to account those responsible for the attacks, which have now killed over 100 members of Syria’s Druze community. 

Senior U.S. Officials Meet Syrian Foreign Minister

The meeting between Syrian and U.S. officials was first reported the day it occurred—on Tuesday—by Reuters. 

Reuters said that Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani had met with senior State Department officials in New York, while he, for the first time, was attending meetings at the United Nations.

Asked to comment on the Reuters report on Tuesday, Bruce declined to confirm or deny it. 

As Bruce responded then, “We can confirm that some representatives of the Syrian interim authorities are in New York for various UN meetings.”

But “we are not normalizing diplomatic relations with Syria at this time,” she continued, “and I can preview nothing for you regarding any meetings.”

And she concluded her remarks, affirming, “I have no meetings at all to be able to describe or to confirm for you.”

But that is not the same as saying that there were no meetings. At her next press briefing, on Thursday, Bruce confirmed that a meeting had occurred, and she provided some insights into the discussion.

One major subject appeared to be the U.S. terms for normalizing ties with Syria’s new government.

“Department of State officials met on April 29th with the Syrian interim authorities in New York,” Bruce explained.

“We continue,” she added, “to urge the interim authorities to choose policies that reinforce stability for Syria’s citizens, assure peace with Syria’s neighbors, develop Syria’s economy, and result in good-faith cooperation with the international community.”

Bruce then laid out the U.S. conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria and normalizing relations with the new regime—conditions which have been conveyed to Syrian officials.

“Any future normalization of relations – or a lifting of sanctions,” she said, “will depend on the interim authorities’ actions and positive response to the specific confidence-building measures we have communicated.”

There appear to be five such measures that the U.S. has asked for.

“They should fully renounce and suppress terrorism—exclude and remove foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles,” she said, describing one important step. 

The second and third measures required to normalize ties are to “prevent Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory” and “continue taking steps to verifiably destroy Assad’s chemical weapons,” Bruce stated.

The fourth is to “assist in the recovery of U.S. and other citizens who have been disappeared in Syria,” and the fifth is to “ensure the security and freedoms of Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities.”

Call to End Violence against Druze

Later on Thursday, Bruce released a statement sharply condemning the assaults on the Druze, who live mostly in Syria and Lebanon, where they comprise about one million people. 

The Druze constitute some three percent of the Syrian population, and they have come under repeated attack.

“The recent violence and inflammatory rhetoric targeting members of the Druze community in Syria is reprehensible and unacceptable,” Bruce said in a statement released late on Thursday.

“The interim authorities must stop the fighting, hold perpetrators of violence and civilian harm accountable for their actions, and ensure the security of all Syrians,” she affirmed, as she warned, “Sectarianism will only sink Syria and the region into chaos and more violence.”

But Bruce also had some positive words. “We have seen that Syrians can solve their disputes peacefully through negotiations,” and “we call for a representative future government that protects and integrates all of Syria’s communities, including ethnic and religious minorities.”