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US ambassador praises Damascus’ “epic” achievements after Assad ouster
(MENAFN) According to reports, US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack offered strong praise for Syria’s trajectory since the removal of the Bashar Assad government in December 2024. Speaking at a panel session during the Doha Forum, he described the country’s accomplishments over the past year as “epic” and “heroic,” stating: “It's heroic and epic what they've done in what will be one year and a couple of days.”
Following Assad’s ouster, a new leadership under President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been working to advance political and economic reforms, reinforce social unity, and broaden its engagement with both regional neighbors and global partners.
Barrack emphasized that the international community should assist Syrians as they shape their own political future, saying: “What we all have to do is help them entitle them and encourage them and allow them to form the kind of government and inclusive regime that they, the Syrians, would like to do.”
He cautioned against imposing outside models on the country, warning that “Western expectations” could obstruct Syria’s internal progress. Reflecting on a long history of external intervention, he remarked: “Since Sykes-Picot, almost every decision that the West has imposed on the region rather than letting the region evolve itself has been a mistake,” and added, “Every time we step in, whether it's Libya, Iraq, all of the places that we've been to try and create a colonized mandate, it has not been very successful. We end up with paralysis."
Barrack noted that managing tensions along the Syrian-Israeli frontier will take gradual, careful work, describing it as “a process” involving “baby steps.”
Serving simultaneously as the US Ambassador to Ankara, Barrack also commended the contribution of Türkiye and Qatar in efforts that led to a ceasefire in Gaza. He stated: “If Türkiye didn't step in alongside, who was also criticized for having a dialogue with Hamas, we would not be where we are today.”
Reports say the ceasefire — facilitated jointly by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar with US support — began on Oct. 10. It brought an end to a two-year Israeli military campaign that, since October 2023, resulted in more than 70,000 deaths, the majority of them women and children, and left nearly 171,000 people wounded.
Following Assad’s ouster, a new leadership under President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been working to advance political and economic reforms, reinforce social unity, and broaden its engagement with both regional neighbors and global partners.
Barrack emphasized that the international community should assist Syrians as they shape their own political future, saying: “What we all have to do is help them entitle them and encourage them and allow them to form the kind of government and inclusive regime that they, the Syrians, would like to do.”
He cautioned against imposing outside models on the country, warning that “Western expectations” could obstruct Syria’s internal progress. Reflecting on a long history of external intervention, he remarked: “Since Sykes-Picot, almost every decision that the West has imposed on the region rather than letting the region evolve itself has been a mistake,” and added, “Every time we step in, whether it's Libya, Iraq, all of the places that we've been to try and create a colonized mandate, it has not been very successful. We end up with paralysis."
Barrack noted that managing tensions along the Syrian-Israeli frontier will take gradual, careful work, describing it as “a process” involving “baby steps.”
Serving simultaneously as the US Ambassador to Ankara, Barrack also commended the contribution of Türkiye and Qatar in efforts that led to a ceasefire in Gaza. He stated: “If Türkiye didn't step in alongside, who was also criticized for having a dialogue with Hamas, we would not be where we are today.”
Reports say the ceasefire — facilitated jointly by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar with US support — began on Oct. 10. It brought an end to a two-year Israeli military campaign that, since October 2023, resulted in more than 70,000 deaths, the majority of them women and children, and left nearly 171,000 people wounded.
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