سورية تتعهد لواشنطن بالمساعدة في العثور على أمريكيين مفقودين

The American envoy to Damascus, Tom Barak, revealed that the Syrian authorities have pledged to assist Washington in the search for missing Americans within its territory.

Barak said in a post on the platform "X" today (Sunday), "a strong step forward. The new Syrian government has agreed to help the United States locate American citizens or their remains to return them to their country."

He added, "President Donald Trump has made it clear that bringing American citizens home or honoring their remains with dignity is a top priority everywhere. The new Syrian government will assist us in this commitment."

It is noteworthy that independent journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012, is among the most prominent missing persons since August 14, 2012, having disappeared near Damascus at the age of 31 while working as an independent journalist with several Western media outlets. No information about his fate has been available. His mother visited Damascus and met with President Ahmad al-Shara after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The ISIS organization kidnapped aid worker Kayla Mueller in Aleppo in August 2013, and announced in February her death in an airstrike on the city of Raqqa, which was then the main stronghold of the organization in Syria. Washington later confirmed her death but questioned the validity of the terrorist organization's account.

Also among the missing is the psychotherapist Majd Kamalmaz, an American born in Syria, who was on a private visit to Damascus when he was detained at a security checkpoint in 2017. He specialized in psychological treatment for those affected by wars and natural disasters, and worked with Syrian refugees in Lebanon after the outbreak of the conflict. Unconfirmed reports have indicated his death in prison.

Western media reported that a Syrian source stated that there are 11 other names on Washington's list, who are Syrians with American citizenship.

The Syrian news agency "SANA" reported today that the meeting between President Ahmad al-Shara and the American envoy focused on following up on the implementation of lifting sanctions, with al-Shara telling Barak that the sanctions still represent a heavy burden on Syrians and hinder economic recovery efforts.

The agency added that they discussed ways to support foreign investments in Syria, particularly in the fields of energy and infrastructure. The Syrian side expressed its readiness to provide the necessary facilities to attract investors and contribute to reconstruction efforts.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry welcomed the Trump administration's move to ease sanctions imposed on the war-torn country, affirming that it is a positive step to alleviate humanitarian and economic suffering.

The ministry stated in a statement yesterday (Saturday) that Syria "extends its hand" to any party wishing to cooperate with Damascus, provided that there is no interference in the country's internal affairs.