Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa received a US Congressional delegation, including members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, in Damascus on Tuesday.
The delegation included Senators Markwayne Mullen and Joni Ernst, and Representatives Jason Smith and Jimmy Panetta. The meeting was also attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Congressional Delegation in Damascus
The US delegation arrived in Damascus from Amman, Jordan, where it had met with King Abdullah II. According to the Jordanian News Agency (Petra), the King affirmed his country's support for Syria's security, stability, and territorial integrity, emphasizing the importance of strengthening efforts to preserve Syria's sovereignty and stability.
This meeting comes about a week after al-Sharaa received US Congressman Ibrahim Hamadeh, known as "Abi Hamadeh," along with Asaad al-Shibani, on August 10.
MP Hamadeh said in a statement at the time that he had made "an unprecedented trip from Jerusalem to Damascus," during which he met with Sharaa and Shibani to discuss efforts to return Americans to their homeland and promote "peace through strength."
The statement added that this step marks the first time in decades that a US official has traveled between Jerusalem and Damascus.
Hamadeh explained that he spent six hours in Syria, during which he discussed the issue of returning Kayla Mueller's body to her family and the need to establish a humanitarian corridor to deliver aid to Sweida.
Hamadeh emphasized the importance of normalizing relations between Syria and Israel and its accession to the Abraham Accords, noting that peace must include all components of Syrian society, including Christians, Druze, Kurds, and Alawites.
In light of this, it is likely that the US Congressional delegation's visit to Damascus, following its stop in Amman, will be linked to discussing the issue of normalizing relations between Syria and Israel, in addition to discussing other issues, most notably the lifting of sanctions on Damascus in exchange for pledges made by Sharaa, particularly regarding normalization and the fight against terrorism. The Necessity of Adhering to Pledges
He also announced his support for US President Donald Trump's decision to lift some sanctions on Syria, believing that Congress should oversee the Syrian government's compliance with its pledges.
Hamada arrived in Damascus from Jerusalem after meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a number of officials, as well as the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, Muwaffaq Tarif.
In a related context, an assessment prepared by the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) for members of Congress revealed that the "New Syrian Army," under the leadership of the transitional authorities, does not possess a cohesive regular army structure. Rather, it relies on a fragile and fragmented alliance that includes leaders from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) and several extremist Sunni militias.
According to the report, groups classified as dangerous by Washington, such as the Guardians of Religion Organization—despite announcing its dissolution following the fall of the Assad regime—have regained significant influence in Damascus and continue to influence the transitional government's policies, despite previous disagreements between them and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.
The lengthy assessment, which consists of approximately 70 pages, was summarized by Washington-based journalist Hadeel Oweis, who noted that the Pentagon has expressed caution about expanding the powers of the current government or increasing its resources.
The Pentagon believes this vision will likely strengthen the influence of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast of the country, granting it greater autonomy than ever before.
The report indicates that this position represents a shift from previous approaches within the US Department of Defense, the US State Department, and the US National Security Council, which supported the idea of integrating the SDF with Damascus—even under Assad—to ease the burden of protecting it from Turkish threats.
The assessment also concluded that preserving the SDF serves US national security interests, and that Israel is strongly leaning toward expanding the safety zone on its border with Syria, and possibly controlling parts of southern Syria, bringing it closer to the capital, Damascus.
The report raises concerns within Congress about any easing of sanctions imposed on Damascus, making it difficult for the US administration to renew exemptions or allow the implementation of economic memoranda of understanding signed by Damascus with certain countries.
7al.Net
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