Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) made a historic visit to Syria to meet with its new President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani to discuss the country's new path forward with the United States.
Noted as being the first shuttle of an American official from Jerusalem to Damascus in decades, Rep. Hamadeh sat with al-Shaara and al-Shaibani for six hours, during which they discussed the importance of establishing a secure corridor to deliver humanitarian and medical aid to the city of Suwayda, normalizing relations with Israel and joining the Abraham Accords, and ensuring lasting peace between the various ethnic and religious groups in Syria such as Christians, Druze, Alawites, and Kurds.
Moreover, Rep. Hamadeh sought to secure the remains of Kayla Mueller, an Arizona woman who led a Doctors Without Borders humanitarian campaign in the country. Mueller was reported to have been captured and later confirmed to have been killed by the Islamic State (ISIS).
Mueller was avenged by the United States in the operation named after her, which saw the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, assassinated by American forces in 2019.
The Arizona Congressman further honored Mueller in January by inviting her family to his induction and taking the Oath of Office with the Mueller family Bible.
Hamadeh previously called on al-Shaara to live up to his promises of ending sectarianism in Syria as clashes between Bedouins, Druze, and Sunni militants surged and left hundreds dead in July.
"Now is the time for the Syrian government to turn their words into real actions, if they want to maintain legitimacy: restore order, protect all of its citizens, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace and long-term stability," said Hamadeh, adding, "The only way is to build a new Syria that is reflective of its ethnic and religious mosaic. The United States wants Syria to succeed, but bloodshed, senseless violence, and division is not the path forward."
