US removes $10M bounty on de facto Syrian leader's head
What's the story
The United States has lifted a $10 million bounty on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa after direct talks in Damascus.
Barbara Leaf, the State Department's senior diplomat for the Middle East, confirmed the decision.
She said that "it was a policy decision... aligned with the fact that we are beginning a discussion with HTS."
Security assurance
HTS leader assures US of no IS operations in Syria
During the talks, al-Sharaa, who was previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, assured US officials that the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups would not be allowed to operate in Syria.
The US delegation included Roger Carstens, presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and Daniel Rubinstein, a senior adviser managing US relations with new Syrian forces.
Missing persons
Talks address disappearance of US citizens in Syria
The talks also focused on the case of American journalist Austin Tice and other US citizens missing since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
The US has not maintained diplomatic relations with Syria since 2012.
Carstens emphasized ongoing efforts to find Tice by probing potential detention sites, adding that six facilities believed to have held Tice at some point are currently being investigated.
Kurdish future
Future of Syria's Kurds discussed in US-HTS talks
They also focused on the fate of Syria's Kurds, crucial allies in the fight against IS.
The Kurdish militia YPG is the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Turkey has pressed world powers to stop backing YPG as it has ties with PKK, a terrorist outfit, according to Turkey.
Leaf stressed efforts to reach a compromise over SDF's future role, saying they worked toward a ceasefire around Kobane and managing SDF's transition while keeping focus on counter-IS operations.
Military update
Pentagon discloses increased troop presence in Syria
The Pentagon recently revealed it has 2,000 troops in Syria, more than earlier reported. The increase is temporary and happened in recent months.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed confidence that working with terrorist organizations such as IS and PKK-YPG would soon end.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who returns to office next month, questioned the need for a US presence in Syria.
During his first term, Trump ordered troop withdrawal from Syria but left a residual presence after the Pentagon resisted.