Three senior U.S. diplomats arrived in Damascus today to meet with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, to discuss the transition process following the fall of the Assad regime less than two weeks ago. HTS remains on the U.S. list of terrorist groups but is now pushing to be removed. The U.S. has also not had diplomatic relations with Syria since 2012 and has not sent diplomats to the country in over a decade. (New York Times)
Our Take
This diplomatic engagement reflects the mad scramble by a number of outside powers to establish contact and communication with HTS. The surprise swiftness with which the Assad regime fell means that many external powers are still simply trying to determine the new lay of the land in Damascus and even what their objectives will be in the country going forward. One thing is already clear, though: They all would like to have influence in the new Syria.
As of now, it appears that Turkey has the most leverage with the transitional government in Damascus, largely because it had a head start. During the years in which HTS was confined to overseeing the Idlib province in northern Syria, Turkey provided indirect assistance to the group, managed the flow of international aid into the province and maintained a nearby military presence that prevented attacks by Syrian government forces.