Thomas Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey who was also named as special envoy to Syria last week, raised the American flag over the ambassadorial residence in Damascus on Thursday for the first time since 2012.
“Our American flag rose proudly today over Damascus along with the rise of the hopes and aspirations of the Syrian people due to President Donald Trump’s bold and courageous vision and decision on May 13th,” Barrack said on Thursday.
“The President lifted onerous sanctions to allow Syria to determine its own future and has empowered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to weave a new tapestry of foreign policy in the Middle East,” he said.
Barrack arrived in the Syrian capital two weeks after President Donald Trump met with interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, and subsequently ordered the lifting of U.S. sanctions that were imposed against the regimes of Bashar Assad and his father, Hafez.
Bashar Assad launched a vicious civil war to retain power in 2011. He seemingly won with support from Russia and Iran after a dozen years of bloodshed, but was abruptly overthrown by Sharaa and his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) insurgent alliance in December 2024.
The U.S. embassy in Damascus was shuttered about a year into the Syrian civil war. The U.S. ambassador at the time, Robert Ford, was ejected by the Assad regime because he paid an unauthorized visit to a city that was under siege by the Syrian military. There have been other American envoys to Syria between 2012 and Barrack’s appointment this month, but they did not travel to Damascus.
Sharaa and his junta have been eager to get Western sanctions lifted so they can rebuild Syria, resolve one of the worst humanitarian crises of the past century, and bring millions of refugees home.
Western powers have been understandably reluctant to support Sharaa because he is a former officer of both al Qaeda and the Islamic State, and HTS was once al Qaeda’s franchise in Syria. Sharaa promised to build a more inclusive government than Assad’s brutal regime, but there has been some ugly factional violence since HTS took Damascus, particularly against the Alawite sect that the Assad dynasty belonged to.
Sharaa went to great lengths to secure a meeting with Trump, and Trump has now placed some heavy bets that Sharaa will make good on his promises to rebuild Syria. Barrack doubled down on those bets on Thursday by saying Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism could be rescinded following a six-month review by Congress.
“America’s intent and the president’s vision is that we have to give this young government a chance by not interfering, not demanding, by not giving conditions, by not imposing our culture on your culture,” he told reporters in Damascus.
The U.S. envoy hinted that Sharaa could go a long way toward keeping America’s trust by making peace with Israel.
“Syria and Israel is a solvable problem. But it starts with a dialogue. I’d say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,” he said.
Syrian and Israeli officials are reportedly in contact behind the scenes, including some face-to-face meetings aimed at stabilizing relations.
Syrian and Western sources told Reuters on Tuesday that “back-channel talks” began soon after HTS toppled Assad.
The senior HTS security official in charge of the province adjacent to the Golan Heights, Ahmad al-Dalati, has publicly denied his rumored involvement in the talks with Israel. Sharaa, on the other hand, has been remarkably willing to confirm that indirect talks with Israel are underway, mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
The new Syrian government seems eager to establish what one of Reuters’ sources called “the absence of war” with Israel. Sharaa has been unwilling to go further in his public remarks, although Trump has predicted Syria would eventually normalize relations with Israel, effectively joining the Abraham Accords.
“Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East. Together, we will Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Trump said when announcing Barrack would be his emissary to Syria, in addition to his posting in Turkey.
The double position for Barrack makes sense, because Turkey has been the strongest advocate for lifting sanctions on Syria and giving Sharaa’s government a chance. This enthusiasm is fueled by Turkey’s hope to play a major role in Syrian reconstruction, expectation that Sharaa will pull Syrian Kurdish militias away from the Turkish border, and eagerness to send millions of Syrian refugees home.
Turkish media quoted Syrian security sources this week who said Turkey will be invited to establish bases for its air, naval, and ground forces on Syrian soil, ostensibly to help defeat the remnants of the Islamic State.
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