The US has had “direct contact” with the HTS rebels who now run Syria after toppling the Assad regime, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday. It is the first acknowledgment of direct US interaction with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the US currently still designates as a terrorist organization.
Blinken told reporters that the US has been in contact specifically over the fate of the missing American journalist, Austin Tice. Blinken was speaking in Jordan after discussing the future of Syria with representatives from several Arab countries, Turkey, and Europe.
Officials agreed to support a peaceful transition process in the country, with Jordan’s foreign minister saying that regional powers did not want to see it “descend into chaos.”.
The communique called for an inclusive Syrian government that respects the rights of minorities and does not offer a base for “terrorist groups.” Talking inside and outside Syria after the tumultuous events of recent weeks has been vital in setting up a new governance that represents all Syrians.
HTS was not present at the meeting in Jordan. There, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein voiced his concern about Syria’s future in the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Regional players do not want to see another Libya – chaos after Colonel Gaddafi was removed from power, he said. Syrian institutions should be maintained and reformed, said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakam Fidan.
“Never let terrorism take an opportunity from the transition period. And we have to coordinate our efforts and learn from past mistakes,” Fidan said, according to Reuters news agency.
