US diplomats visit Syria to meet new rulers

Syrian Kurds wave flags and chant slogans during a demonstration in support of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. The show of support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) comes after Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria's longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, and as Turkey said on December 19 it would push to "disarm" the Kurdish-led forces on its border. [AFP]

US diplomats have arrived in Syria to speak directly to the new Islamist-led rulers, hoping to encourage a moderate, inclusive path and to find clues on missing Americans, the State Department said Friday.