Alwaght- Last year these days, the American officials talked about the need to withdraw their military forces from Syria. But the surprise fall of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus in December has changed many of the calculations in the region. The changes have been so drastic that over the past two months, American officials have paid several visits to Syria and met with officials from government of interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Jonathan Bass, the prominent American businessman and a close figure to Trump has recently published part of his recent meeting with al-Sharaa in Damascus.
Bass referred to important points of his meeting with the new Syrian leader, saying that the violent and extremist past of al-Sharaa has taught him how he now should be. The interesting point in the American businessman's report on the meeting with al-Sharaa is his admission of al-Sharaa's extremist background. Bass says that his extremist background has allowed al-Sharaa to take action against ISIS from within Syria, because he has evolved from a revolutionary approach to governance. In addition to Bass, Thomas Barrack, the US special envoy to Syria, is among other American officials who have traveled to Damascus in recent days and met with officials of the Syrian interim government. But what is the real purpose of the Americans' successive trips to Syria?
Trump's must-do list for al-Sharaa
The recent meeting of al-Sharaa with his American counterpart Donald Trump is indicative of an unprecedented and quantitative development in the American-Syrian relations. Held with support of Saudi Arabia, the meeting was the first between an American president and his Syrian counterpart in 25 years. The last one was between Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, and Bill Clinton in 2000.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as host also joined the meeting between the two presidents and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also joined over the web. The meeting revealed the importance the US attaches to the new Syrian developments. It also demonstrates Trump's willingness for occasional unconventional measures. It is said that the meeting was a source of difference of the US administration officials to hours before Trump's tour to the Persian Gulf region.
According to the New Arab report, during these talks, the US President clearly outlined his demands from the Syrian interim government, and according to a statement released by the White House spokesman, Trump made five key demands to al-Sharaa:
The first of these demands is for Syria to join the Abraham Accords and normalize its relations with Israel. The second is for all foreign fighters to leave Syria, specifically referring to non-Syrian militias. The third is for the cadres of Palestinian armed groups present on Syrian soil, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to leave the country. The fourth is for Washington to strengthen cooperation with the fight against terrorist armed forces in Syria. The fifth and final demand requires Damascus to take full responsibility for ISIS detention centers in the northeast of the country.
Al-Sharaa's green light to the White House
After the unexpected meeting of the US and Syrian leaders, al-Sharaa expressed his desire for Damascus to join the “peace process with Israel.” In a symbolic move that showed his desire to gain US trust, he proposed giving US companies priority in investing in Syria’s oil and gas sector. Syrian president also announced at a press conference in the French capital, Paris, the existence of indirect talks with Israel with international mediation.
The discussion of a peace agreement between Syria and Israel comes as five sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Damascus and Tel Aviv are in direct contact and that face-to-face meetings have been held in recent weeks under the leadership of Brigadier General Ahmed al-Dulati, the commander of internal security in Sweida province, aimed at easing tensions and preventing clashes in the border area between the two sides.
Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since the 1967 war and has occupied more territory since al-Assad was toppled later last year. The airstrikes of the past few months have also destroyed a large part of Syria's military infrastructure, while simultaneously Tel Aviv pressuring Washington to keep Syria weak and unstable.
In fact, Tel Aviv and Washington's push for relationship with Syria falls under a common aim: Eliminating the Syrian threat to Israel. To this end, Tel Aviv has so far pursued military operations in Syria, and the US is seeking to normalize relations between Damascus and Tel Aviv, although it seems that despite the Syrian interim regime's willingness, Netanyahu still does not trust al-Sharaa much given his extremist past.
Mission of the new US envoy to Syria
Thomas Barrack was named the special US envoy to Syria on May 22. He at the same time is the American ambassador to Turkey and last week made his first official visit to Syria. Barrack on Friday raised the US flag over the US ambassador’s residence in Damascus for the first time since the US embassy was closed in 2012. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Barrack and al-Sharaa held a meeting that focused mainly on following up on the implementation of the lifting of sanctions. The US closed its embassy in Damascus in February 2012, almost a year into the 14-year Syrian civil war, and subsequent US ambassadors to Syria have worked abroad without visiting Damascus.
Currently, the US’s continued support for the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is one of the most significant potential sources of tension between Washington and the new Syrian government. Despite the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, Washington still maintains approximately 900 troops in northern and eastern Syria, raising concerns of the new Syrian leadership. As a result, it is clear that the US role in post-Assad Syria has not only not diminished, but has also been reshaped based on a new approach. In fact, Washington has shifted from a policy of conflict management in Syria to transition management, and from supporting informal armed institutions to conditional coordination with the nascent interim regime.
Syrian economy challenged by political instability
Economy has a major weight in the new period of the Syrian-American ties. Last week, Syrian government sighed a $7 billion deal with a coalition of American, Turkish, and Qatari companies to generate power. The deal was signed after an announcement of suspension of the American and European sanctions on Syria.
The agreement will see the construction of four combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants with American and European technology in the Deir Ez-Ezor, Mahrada, Zizon and Trifawi regions of Hama and Homs provinces with a total production capacity of 5,000 megawatts. The agreement also includes the construction of a solar power plant with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts in the Wadi al-Rabi’ah region in southern Syria.
In 2010, a year before the start of the devastating civil war, Syria was producing about 6,500 megawatts. This is while the country’s current demand is about 8,600 megawatts. As a result, Syria is facing a severe power shortage. Its current electricity production is 1,300 megawatts and it has two hours of electricity per day. To fully cover the deficit, the country needs approximately 6,500 megawatts under normal conditions.
According to a report published by Khaleej Online, this energy deal includes four big international companies led by Qatar's UCC Holding that holds the main responsibility for implementing the project. Also, two Turkish companies, Kalyon Energy Yatirimillari and Cengiz Energy, that are active in power industry are partners to the project.
But perhaps the most important challenge of this agreement is the ongoing insecurity and instability of the Syrian political conditions. Six months after al-Assad's fall, the election and power transition mechanisms in the country are yet to be decided and ISIS terrorist group's threat is still existent. These challenges jeopardize future of any investment in Syria.
