US committed to seeking accountability for those responsible for atrocities in Syria
March 5, 2022, 8:40 am

US committed to seeking accountability for those responsible for atrocities in Syria

Strong winds and heavy rain hit the northwestern regions of Syria, damaging tens of tents. Our teams responded to the affected camps, helped to reinstall the uprooted tents, and opened canals to drain the rainwater out of the camps (File photo: Syria Civil Defence)

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich discussed with the head of Syrian Civil Defense Raed al-Saleh the vital work that the organization is doing to save lives through preparation, response, and recovery operations.

The US embassy tweeted that Washington "is committed to seeking accountability for those responsible for atrocities in Syria," noting that for 11 years, the regime "has detained, tortured, and committed crimes against Syrians, but impunity will end. This month, we highlight how Syrians and the international community are pursuing accountability for these crimes."

The report said that Goldrich was set to host on Thursday European Union, Arab and European envoys to discuss Syria. UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, was expected to brief them on the latest political developments.

It mentioned that the gatherers will hold consultations on the field developments in Syria, the positions of Arab nations that are open to normalizing relations with Damascus, and the impact the Ukraine war will have on the country.

Today in NW #Syria, there were strong winds and heavy rain. Temperatures are dropping, living conditions are deteriorating, and the humanitarian response is insufficient for thousands of displaced people living in IDP camps. #WhiteHelmets
Posted by Syria Civil Defence - The White Helmets on Thursday, March 3, 2022

Washington has notably invited Turkey to the talks. It had previously asked Ankara for the first such meetings held in Brussels in December.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the invite is part of US efforts to steer Turkey away from Russia, ease tensions, and mitigate the severity of the situation due to Washington's support to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

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Pedersen is scheduled to host the meeting of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, starting Mar. 21, with the participation of delegations from the government, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), and the civil society.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.