Latest news with #SyriaIsraelTalks
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-07-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Thomas Barrack: Syria's Joining Abraham Accords ‘Could Take Time'
Syria and Israel are engaged in 'meaningful' talks through the United States that aim to restore calm along their border, according to Thomas Barrack, US President Donald Trump's envoy to Syria. Barrack said in an interview with The New York Times on Thursday that the administration wanted Syria to join the Abraham Accords, but 'this could take time' because Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa could face resistance at home. 'He cannot be seen by his own people to be forced or coerced into the Abraham Accords,' Barrack said. 'So he has to work slowly.' Trump tapped Barrack, an old friend and private equity investor, to help realize his vision for the Middle East, which the administration hopes will foster less conflict and more prosperity. Trump made clear during his Mideast visit in May that lucrative business deals in sectors including arms and artificial intelligence were his priority, and his decision to bomb nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran last month showed his support for Israel and willingness to use force against American foes. Barrack called the US administration's approach a departure from previous 'failed' American attempts at 'nation building' and from past efforts to shape how other governments rule. Much of Barrack's work has focused on pushing Syria and Lebanon, both recovering from destructive wars, toward solving their own problems while rallying support from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and other regional partners. It is unclear whether Trump's focus on prioritizing economic development over vocal support for democracy will fare better than the efforts of previous administrations to address some of the Middle East's most bedeviling problems, according to The New York Times. Barrack, in his first diplomatic job at age 78, has been working his relationships with heads of state and other power brokers. He said that having a direct line to the White House and to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the fact that the administration had 'little patience for the region's resistance to helping itself,' had helped. Much of Barrack's effort has focused on Syria, where the fledgling government of al-Sharaa is trying to rebuild the country after a 13-year civil war. Trump signed an executive order this week aimed at ending decades of US sanctions on Syria. Barrack said that instead of making strict demands, the administration had laid out objectives for the Syrian government to work toward while Washington monitored its progress. Those indications would include finding a peaceful accommodation with Israel; integrating the US-backed, Kurdish-led militia that controls Syria's northeast; and investigating the fates of Americans who went missing during the war. Progress on democratization and inclusive government will not happen quickly, Barrack said, and are not part of the US criteria. American officials have expressed concerns about the thousands of fighters who came to Syria from abroad to take part in the war, mostly as part of militant groups. Barrack said Washington realized that Syria could not expel those who remained and that they could pose a threat to the new government if they were excluded. So the Trump administration instead expects transparency about the roles they are given. Lifting sanctions to encourage changes worked better than keeping them in place until Syria met specific demands, Barrack said. 'It is a brilliant way to accomplish the same thing, and these roll-on, roll-off sanctions have never worked anyway,' he said. The new Syrian government's relations have been tense with Israel, whose military has moved into southern Syria and often carried out operations there. The talks aim to quiet the conflict along the border while laying the groundwork for better relations.
New York Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Israel and Syria in U.S.-Brokered Talks to End Border Conflict, Trump Envoy Says
Syria and Israel are engaged in 'meaningful' talks through the United States that aim to restore calm along their border, according to Thomas J. Barrack Jr., one of President Trump's key envoys to the Middle East. Mr. Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, said in an interview with The New York Times that the administration wanted Syria to join the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab states during Mr. Trump's first term. But Mr. Barrack cautioned that this could take time because Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Shara, could face resistance at home. 'He cannot be seen by his own people to be forced or coerced into the Abraham Accords,' Mr. Barrack said. 'So he has to work slowly.' Mr. Trump tapped Mr. Barrack, an old friend and private equity investor, to help realize his vision for the Middle East, which the administration hopes will foster less conflict and more prosperity. Mr. Trump made clear during his Mideast visit in May that lucrative business deals in sectors including arms and artificial intelligence were his priority, and his decision to bomb nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran last month showed his support for Israel and willingness to use force against American foes. Mr. Barrack called the administration's approach a departure from previous 'failed' American attempts at 'nation building' and from past efforts to shape how other governments rule. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The National
28-05-2025
- General
- The National
Syria-Israel talks are focused on reducing military presence near the Golan, source says
Talks between Syria and Israel have focused on the sides cutting back their military presence near the Golan Heights, a Syrian political source said. The source, who does not hold a government position, told The National that 'no political issues have been discussed'. Syria is demanding that Israel withdraws its troops to a 1974 armistice line on the Golan Heights, the source said. Israel sent its forces across the line into Syrian territory after rebel forces toppled former president Bashar Al Assad in December. The Israelis want the Syrian government to commit to an expanded demilitarised zone, free from heavy weapons, that runs from the Golan Heights to the outskirts of Damascus, the source said. Security teams from the sides have been discussing the details in an area of the Golan Heights patrolled by United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, the source said, without naming the participants. Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara said this month that Syria is engaged in 'indirect talks through mediators' with Israel 'to calm down the situation so that it does not get out of control'. Quoting sources, Reuters reported on Tuesday that a Syrian team led by Ahmad Al Dalati, a colonel in the security forces, held direct talks with Israel in the region of Quneitra, the heart of the 1974 demilitarised zone. Mr Al Dalati told Syrian state television that he 'categorically denies participating in any direct talks with the Israeli side'. 'Such claims lake accuracy and credibility,' said Mr Al Dalati, who was appointed this month as governor of the mostly Druze province of Suweida in southern Syria. Syria and Israel have been technically at war since 1967. Israel seized the Golan Heights that year and annexed it in 1981. Syria launched an unsuccessful war to regain the area in 1973, leading to the creation of the UN demilitarised zone the following year. The regime of Mr Al Assad, and his father Hafez held peace talks with Israel several times without reaching an agreement. On May 14, President Donald Trump met Mr Al Shara in Riyadh after being urged to do so by Ankara and Saudi Arabia and he asked Syria to join the Abraham Accords that established diplomatic relations between Israel and a number of Arab states. Although Mr Al Shara's Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group is a former ally of Al Qaeda, many see him and his government as a bulwark against more extreme elements. Israel bombed Syria since he was named leader by fellow rebels in late January, but the raids have subsided in recent weeks.
