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Commenting on the report on a secret visit by a White House official to Damascus, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that his country does not intend to change its policy towards Syria.
Pompeo said at a press conference held Wednesday at the US State Department that the United States will not change its policy towards the Syrian authorities to ensure the release of journalist Austin Tice and the other Americans in its custody.
Pompeo said: “All Syrians must release Mr. Tice and reveal what they know to us. But they decided not to.
And the US Secretary of State continued: “We will continue to work to secure the return of Austin Tice, but rather of all detained Americans. But we do not intend to change US policy to do so.”
This statement comes after the “Wall Street Journal” reported last Sunday, according to US administration sources, that the deputy assistant to the US president, Cash Patel, who is a prominent official concerned with fighting terrorism the White House, visited Damascus earlier this year for a decade. Secret meetings with the government of President Bashar al-Assad, in order to achieve the release of two US citizens who are believed to be held by the country’s authorities.
This is the first visit in almost 10 years by a senior US official to Syria, which is experiencing a serious political and military crisis that erupted in 2011.
The US government cut diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012 in response to the “crackdown on demonstrations” in the country, and since then US authorities, led by former President Barack Obama and his successor, Donald Trump, have made major efforts to isolate the Syrian government on the international stage and imposed extensive sanctions on the authorities in Damascus.
Source: Agencies
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