US diplomats visit Syria to meet new rulers

DAMASCUS: US diplomats are in Syria to meet the country's new rulers, the State Department said Friday, as outside powers seek assurances they will be moderate and inclusive.

The ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad ended decades of abuses and years of civil war, but it has raised concerns about the rights of minorities, as well as women, and the future of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

On Thursday, hundreds of demonstrators in Damascus demanded democracy and women's rights, in the first such protest since Assad's departure.

In northeast Syria's Qamishli, thousands demonstrated in support of a US-backed, Kurdish-led force that is under pressure from Turkey and allied rebel fighters.

The lightning offensive that forced Assad's departure was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is rooted in Al-Qaeda's Syria branch but has more recently adopted a moderate tone.

Still, its sudden arrival in the capital has left foreign governments scrambling for a new policy, particularly in some countries.

US diplomats have not been to Damascus on a formal mission since the early days of the civil war that erupted after Assad cracked down on anti-government protests in 2011.

They will meet representatives from HTS, as well as activists, minority groups and civil society, the State Department said.

They will speak with Syrians about "their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them," a State Department spokesperson said.

The delegation includes the US point man on hostages, who has been seeking clues on missing Americans including Austin Tice, a journalist who was kidnapped in Syria in August 2012.

The trip comes a week after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States had been in direct contact with HTS, as he toured Syria's neighbours.