Blinken Confirms US Contact With HTS Following Assad’s Fall in Syria
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Saturday that American officials have been in direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that led the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Blinken’s remarks mark the first public acknowledgment of such engagement by the Biden administration.
Speaking at a news conference in Aqaba, Jordan, Blinken stressed the importance of dialogue with HTS and other factions in Syria to ensure a peaceful and inclusive political transition. HTS, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda, has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US since 2018, a classification that imposes severe sanctions and prohibits material support to the group.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
“Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken stated, adding, “Our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed, and we’re prepared to help them do so.”
The announcement came as Blinken, along with officials from eight Arab nations, Turkey, the European Union, and the United Nations, endorsed principles for Syria’s transition to a nonsectarian, inclusive government. Blinken did not elaborate on the content of the discussions with HTS but noted that the US conveyed expectations regarding governance during the transitional period.
