US envoy hails Syria’s ‘epic, heroic’ achievements in 1 year since Assad’s fall

US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Sunday that Damascus has "epic" and "heroic" achievements over the course of one year, following the ouster of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024.

"It's heroic and epic what they've done in what will be one year and a couple of days," Barrack said during a panel discussion at the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital.

After the fall of the Assad regime, a new administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been pursuing political and economic reforms while promoting social cohesion and expanding cooperation with regional and international partners.

"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," the US envoy said.

He called for avoiding "Western expectations" that will prevent Syria from reaching stability within itself.

"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," Barrack said.

"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," he added.

The US envoy said that resolving the situation on the Syrian and Israeli border is "a process" that requires "baby steps."

Barrack, who also serves as US Ambassador to Ankara, hailed Türkiye's and Qatar's role in reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"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," he added.

The ceasefire, mediated by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, and backed by the US, took effect on Oct. 10, halting a two-year Israeli war that has killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 others since October 2023.