US has talked with Syria about death of US citizen, State Dept says
United States Department of State logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department has called for an immediate investigation into the recent death of a U.S. citizen in Syria, and there have been direct discussions with the Syrian government about the issue, deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Thursday.
U.S. citizen Hosam Saraya died last week in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida, the State Department previously confirmed, amid ongoing sectarian clashes there.
ABC News last week cited videos shared on social media that showed eight men kneeling in civilian clothes before being executed by gunfire by a group of soldiers. One of the victims was apparently Saraya.
"What I can say is we have had direct discussions with the Syrian government on this issue, and have called for an immediate investigation into the matter," Pigott told reporters during a press briefing.
"Hosam and his family deserve justice, and those responsible for this atrocity must be held accountable."
Saraya's death comes at a complex time for the Syrian government, which rose to power after long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad was deposed last year.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is struggling to keep together a country beset by sectarian rifts, and he faces suspicion among some Western leaders due to his past membership in violent terrorist organizations. Israeli forces have pressed deep into the country's southwest.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports
Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint
Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line
Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71
Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA
Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp
Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool
Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B
The fighting in Sweida has pitted the Druze, who distrust the new government in Damascus, against Sunni Muslim Bedouin.
In May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a bid to integrate the new government into the international community. In late June, he officially signed an executive order terminating U.S. sanctions. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
How Gaza exasperation pushed 3 Israel allies towards recognising Palestinian state, World News
OTTAWA/PARIS/LONDON - When Spain, Ireland and Norway announced in May 2024 that they would recognise a Palestinian state, Israel's closer allies dismissed the move as unhelpful to solving the crisis in Gaza. While France, Britain and Canada stressed their support for establishing two states with recognised borders as the long-term solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, they were wary of being seen to reward Hamas, of damaging relations with Israel and Washington, and of squandering diplomatic capital. "I will not do an 'emotional' recognition," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the time. But as Israeli restrictions on aid escalated Gaza's humanitarian crisis and a two-month truce ended in March, talks began in earnest that would lead three of the Group of Seven major Western economies to set out plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September. Fears for two-state solution boost recognition drive "The possibility of a two-state solution is being eroded before our eyes ... that has been one of the factors that has brought us to this point to try to reverse, with partners, this cycle," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday (July 31). France and Saudi Arabia formed a plan to have more Western countries move towards Palestinian recognition while Arab states would be pushed to take a stronger line against Hamas. The pair wanted their proposals to gain acceptance at a United Nations conference in June, but they struggled to gain traction and the meeting was then postponed due to Israeli airstrikes on Iran and amid intense US diplomatic pressure. The strikes led to a pause in public criticism of Israel from Western allies, and Arab states were hard to win round, but discussions continued behind the scenes. Macron, Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were communicating with each other regularly by phone and texts during June and July, according to a Canadian source with direct knowledge of the events. Canada was wary of acting alone and Britain wanted to ensure any move would have maximum impact, but Macron was more strident. Alarm was growing about images of starving children, and fears were mounting that Israel's Gaza offensive, combined with settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, would further undermine any chance of creating a sovereign Palestinian state. On July 24, Macron made a surprise announcement that France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Neither Britain nor Canada followed immediately. But the relatively muted reaction by US President Donald Trump - saying the statement carried no weight but that Macron was still a "great guy" - brought some reassurance that the diplomatic fallout would be manageable if others went the same way. Macron, Starmer, Merz and Carney Macron spoke with Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz two days later to discuss a "sustainable route to a two-state solution", according to Starmer's spokesperson, just before the prime minister was due to meet Trump in Scotland. [[nid:720799]] With Trump, Starmer pressed the case to do more to help Gaza, although, according to Trump, he never explicitly said a recognition plan was on the cards, though Trump has since criticised such moves as "rewarding Hamas". With Trump still in Britain on Tuesday, opening a golf course, Starmer recalled his cabinet from their summer break to get approval for his recognition plan. Britain would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless there was a ceasefire and a lasting peace plan from Israel. Like Macron, Starmer gave Carney a few hours' warning. Once Britain and France had moved, Canada felt it had to follow suit, according to the Canadian source. "International co-operation is essential to securing lasting peace and stability in the Middle East and Canada will do its best to help lead that effort," Carney said on Wednesday, six days after Macron's announcement. In practical terms, the three countries' move will not change much. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the recognition as "irrelevant" while its other major Group of Seven allies - Germany, Italy and Japan - have given no indication they will follow suit. More than three-quarters of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly already independently recognise a Palestinian state. But the opposition of the US, with its veto power on the UN Security Council, means the UN cannot admit Palestine as a full member - a move that would effectively recognise a Palestinian state at global level. However, Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, said the declarations mattered "precisely because we are seeing some big US allies catching up with the bulk of the Global South on the Palestinian question at the UN". "That makes it a little harder for Israel to write off the pro-recognition camp as irrelevant."
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
N. Korea's Kim orders freight station construction near China border
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting the construction sites of the permanent embankments on the island areas of Sinuiju City and Uiju County of North Pyongan Province. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the construction of a freight station near the Chinese border to support a large-scale greenhouse farm project in the north-west, state-run media reported on Aug 2. Coming at a time when North Korea has been bolstering military and economic ties with Russia , particularly since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, observers are watching whether the move could lead to an uptick in trade with its traditional ally China, which has recently been sluggish. Mr Kim visited the region around Sinuiju on Aug 1, where severe flooding occurred in July 2024 after the Yalu River, which runs along the border with China, overflowed, according to the Korean Central News Agency. While inspecting embankment and farm construction, Mr Kim called for the creation of a 'comprehensive transport centre' with a new vegetable storehouse and processing facilities built around it, the official news agency said. The area around the Yalu River has long been prone to flooding during heavy rains, with widespread damage reported in 2024. But with residential buildings reportedly swiftly rebuilt, Mr Kim was quoted as saying such flood damage, once seen as inevitable, has 'became a past story'. Beijing is viewed as Pyongyang's closest and most influential ally in economic terms. KYODO NEWS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
‘Not chickened out': Trump stakes reputation as dealmaker with tariff policy
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump boarding Air Force One on his way to New Jersey on Aug 1. WASHINGTON - Donald Trump is staking his reputation as a tough negotiator and slick dealmaker – that has served him well throughout his life – with his ultra-muscular, protectionist tariffs policy. On Aug 1, the White House released a picture of the US president seen with a smartphone pressed to his ear, with the caption: 'Making calls. Making deals. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Every trade deal announced by the president, who is convinced that tariffs are both a tool and manifestation of America's economic might, is celebrated by his supporters as a show of his negotiating prowess. This week's flurry of rate changes was no different. On July 31, with the stroke of a black marker, the former real estate developer slapped fresh tariffs on dozens of US trade partners . They will kick in on Aug 7 instead of Aug 1, which had previously been touted as a hard deadline. The Republican leader's backtracking, frequently setting trade deadlines only to rescind or extend them – he most recently granted Mexico a 90-day extension – has given rise to the mocking acronym 'Taco' ('Trump always chickens out'). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Asia 'Every day, we think about how to upgrade': China's factories see rise in robot adoption Singapore Sheng Siong to open first store in Orchard by end-August Sport Spurs captain Son Heung-min says he is leaving the English Premier League club Life Tastemakers: Burnt-out serial entrepreneur cooks up $16m success with Lau Wang Claypot Delights Asia 'This isn't some concubine selection': Why matchmaking events for rich Chinese have drawn flak The jokes implying Mr Trump is all talk and no action on trade have previously struck a nerve for the president. 'Not chicken' But analysts believe there will be no going back this time. Mr Trump has 'not chickened out,' according to Mr Josh Lipsky, an international economics expert at the Atlantic Council think tank. He told AFP the president is 'following through, if not exceeding' what he vowed during his campaign in respect to tariffs. Mr Matthew Aks, a public policy analyst at Evercore ISI, said he did not anticipate a 'massive shift' on the latest order, aside from some economies like Taiwan or India striking deals during the seven-day buffer. Following crunch negotiations leading up to the tariffs announcement, Mr Trump struck a series of compromises, notably with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, setting varying tax rates and touting high investments in the United States. The details of these agreements remain vague and leave the door open to key questions: Are exemptions possible? What will become of key sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors? And what of China? The US president and leaders of other countries 'have reasons to avoid going into detailed agreements' explained Mr Aks, allowing all sides to present the deals in the most positive, or least negative, way possible to their public. The ability to conclude deals – often with or without crucial detail – is, for the 79-year-old Republican, an integral part of his political signature. 'Art form' In his book The Art Of The Deal, the billionaire wrote: 'Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks.' He explained in his book that he always 'protects' himself 'by being flexible'. 'I never get too attached to one deal or one approach.' But despite comments about his trade policy reversals, Mr Trump has hardly budged from his trade strategy, and that could prove politically painful. In a survey conducted by Quinnipiac University published in mid-July, only 40 per cent of respondents said they supported the president's trade policy, while 56 per cent criticised it. The latest employment figures bear the marks of Mr Trump's protectionist offensive, according to experts. Job creation in May and June was revised sharply downward, falling to levels not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic. AFP
