US and Syria have reportedly been engaging in secret talks in Oman, indicating a potential diplomatic dialogue between the two nations. According to an anonymous diplomat from the Arab League, undisclosed discussions between the US and Syrian governments occurred in Muscat, Oman’s capital known for clandestine negotiations. The meetings involved security personnel and foreign ministry representatives from both nations.
During the talks, Syrian officials mainly pressed for the complete withdrawal of US occupation troops from the country. According to sources, around 2,000 American military personnel are present at any given time in Syrian territory across 22 US bases – a figure higher than the Pentagon’s official count of 900 troops.
During the Muscat talks, the source stressed that “the American envoy repeatedly confirmed that he has information that Austin Tice is alive and in a Syrian army detention centre. However, the Syrian delegation insisted that it had no information about Tice, with Damascus expressing its readiness to make all possible efforts to reveal his fate.”
The freelance journalist and former US Marine Corps officer was kidnapped in 2012 by armed groups in a suburb of Damascus. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that Washington has been “engaged with Syria, engaged with third countries” to find Tice. According to sources, the White House is convinced that Damascus knows of Tice’s whereabouts. However, the Syrian delegation in Muscat did not confirm any information on this matter.
According to sources, Washington and Damascus began secret communications during the administration of former US president Donald Trump. However, these fell by the wayside once Trump stated his intention to “kill” Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in September 2020. However, the number of direct meetings remained limited.
