US offers incentives to Syria to back off from fighting minorities

The National

4 hours ago

The US is to offer incentives to Syria to step back from conflicts with minorities in a move to stabilise the country, as the two sides met in Jordan.
Sectarian violence in the south of Syria between loyalist Sunni forces and the Druze minority has threatened to undermine a burgeoning alliance with Washington, which has pulled Syria closer to the West than at any time in its turbulent history as a modern nation.
Sources dealing with Syrian issues in Jordan told The National that the US has offered to form an international Friends of Syria coalition to support recovery and reconstruction, in return for concessions on domestic policy. Amman hosted a meeting between US envoy Tom Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani on Tuesday to discuss the violence in Sweida.
In particular, Washington wants an inclusive Syrian government and security forces, instead of a Sunni-heavy security apparatus with very few non-Sunnis in any senior positions in the state.
The Druze in Sweida and Kurds in eastern Syria have clashed with the post- Bashar Al Assad government after demanding a civil constitution and limits to the powers of the new, Sunni-dominated order.
'The American idea is to form a Friends of Syria group of nations who would encourage Damascus to change course," a second source said. 'No one wants to see continued destabilisation in Syria, not even Israel."
In return, the source said, Damascus would be expected to purge militants in the security forces, rein in paramilitary groups and appoint technocrats to the government instead of having former rebel commanders oversee departments. The US, Jordan, Turkey and Gulf states would form the core of this group.
The recent fighting in Sweida was the costliest violence for the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham government since it assumed power. HTS, a splinter group of Al Qaeda, ousted the Assad regime in an 11-day offensive in December.
Sweida remains surrounded by forces loyal to Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara. Allowing the population of the governorate to resume normal life, including unfettered access to Damascus, is a key US demand, the source said.
The offensive in Sweida has also raised fears among other minorities, especially after the mass killings of Alawite civilians in March, and cast doubt on Mr Al Shara's ability to unify the country after a 13-year civil war under the previous regime. Attacks by Israel on Mr Al Shara's loyalists pushed Syrian troops back but they remain within close range of Sweida city, the provincial capital.
'If Al Shara keeps letting the militants run the show, the government will self-destruct,' said another source, who highlighted Israeli incursions into southern Syria and its ability "to capture the south easily".
In this case, the source warned, Mr Al Shara would lose control of the south, the Kurds in the east would be emboldened and Syria would return to a period of "proxy war and suicide bombings".
The US is trying to save the Syrian government "from itself", the source said. US President Donald Trump started establishing ties with Damascus in May on the urging of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two key regional supporters of Mr Al Shara.
A Jordanian source, who requested anonymity, said stabilisation was key to preventing any confrontation between Turkey and Israel. They pointed out the presence of thousands of Turkish troops in Syria, although they are deployed mainly in the north.
"The last thing Jordan wants to see" is an armed Israeli-Turkish confrontation near its border, the source said. "No one is very happy with Al Shara but no one wants to see him really fail."