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US Returns to Embassy in Syria After 13-Year Hiatus

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks at the Georgia Republican Convention, Friday, May 15, 2015, in Athens, Ga. Georgia Republicans will hear from three White House hopefuls, Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as the party gathers for its annual convention Friday. The appearances come as Georgia Republicans look to raise their profile in the 2016 nominating contest. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

The US is restarting diplomatic operations in its embassy in Damascus, Syria, as relations between Syria’s interim government and the US improve.

The embassy had been closed since February 2012 due to internal conflict and violence caused by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported how “Ambassador Thomas Barrack raised the American flag over the ambassador’s residence in Damascus, Syria for the first time since the embassy closed in 2012.”

Syria is undergoing a political transition following President al-Assad’s forced departure from the country after rebel forces took control of the country.

Since then, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has remained at the helm of Syria as the country constructs a new government.

The US and President Donald Trump have expressed hope that President al-Sharaa and his administration will steer Syria toward liberty, prosperity, and civility.

Consequently, the US recently lifted sanctions against Syria, a gesture President Trump qualified as “a chance at greatness.”

Ambassador Barrack, the US’s Special Envoy for Syria, commended the sanctions relief for bolstering Syria’s economic, political, and national security.

“The cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity of our primary objective — the enduring defeat of ISIS — and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future,” argued Barrack. “In this way, we, together with regional partners including Turkiye and the Gulf, are enabling the Syrian government to restore peace, security, and the hope of prosperity.”

ISIS recently struck Syrian government forces in recent terror attacks - the first of their kind against Syria’s new government.

The US and allies, including forces that now make up Syria’s government, have been fighting ISIS and similar terror groups throughout Syria and neighboring regions for years.

As the US deepens its relationship with Syria, the US military’s participation in counterterrorism missions could increase.

Mateo Guillamont