The Diplomatic Scramble in Post-Assad Syria

Three elder U.S. diplomats arrived successful Damascus coming to meet pinch representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, aliases HTS, to talk nan modulation process pursuing nan autumn of nan Assad authorities little than 2 weeks ago. HTS remains connected nan U.S. database of violent groups but is now pushing to beryllium removed. The U.S. has besides not had negotiated relations pinch Syria since 2012 and has not sent diplomats to nan state successful complete a decade. (New York Times)

Our Take

This negotiated engagement reflects nan huffy scramble by a number of extracurricular powers to found interaction and connection pinch HTS. The astonishment swiftness pinch which nan Assad authorities fell intends that galore outer powers are still simply trying to find nan caller laic of nan onshore successful Damascus and moreover what their objectives will beryllium successful nan state going forward. One point is already clear, though: They each would for illustration to person power successful nan caller Syria.

As of now, it appears that Turkey has nan most leverage pinch nan transitional authorities successful Damascus, mostly because it had a caput start. During nan years successful which HTS was confined to overseeing nan Idlib state successful bluish Syria, Turkey provided indirect assistance to nan group, managed nan travel of world assistance into nan state and maintained a adjacent subject beingness that prevented attacks by Syrian authorities forces.