U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that U.S. officials are in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that led the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s government but is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and others.
Blinken is the first U.S. official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that ousted Assad from power last Sunday.
Speaking at a news conference in Aqaba, Jordan, Blinken would not discuss details of the contacts but said it was important for the United States to convey messages to the group about its conduct and the way they intend to govern during a period of transition.
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“Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and other parties,” Blinken said. He added that “our message to the Syrian people is: we want them to succeed and we are ready to help them achieve that.”
HTS, which was formerly an affiliate of Al Qaeda, has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department since 2018. The designation carries severe sanctions, including a ban on providing any “material support” to the group. or its members. The sanctions, however, do not legally prohibit U.S. officials from communicating with designated groups.
HTS worked to establish security and begin a political transition after the capture of Damascus and tried to reassure a population both stunned by Assad’s fall and concerned about extremist jihadists among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past.
The group’s leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people on the victory of the blessed revolution.”
U.S. officials say Sharaa made welcome comments about protecting the rights of minorities and women, but remain skeptical that she will be able to follow through on those comments in the long term.
Rebels and Syria’s unarmed opposition worked Friday to safely hand over to U.S. authorities an American imprisoned by Assad.
American authorities are continuing their search to find Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared 12 years ago near Damascus.
“We’ve made it clear to everyone we’ve been in contact with the importance of helping find Austin Tice and bring him home,” Blinken said.
© 2024 The Canadian Press