Blinken confirms direct contact with Syrian rebel leaders

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that the United States has established direct contact with Syria's Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) rebels as they transition from a militant insurgency to a more legitimate government authority.

We have been in contact with HTS and other parties, Blinken said after talks in Aqaba, Jordan, with diplomats and representatives from several Arab countries.

The United States designates HTS as a terrorist organization, making it legally impossible to collaborate with the group, but this contact highlights ongoing efforts to change that designation as the United States and its allies seek to support the transition of the Syria after the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

In a joint statement following the meeting, the governments of the United States and Turkey, the EU and Arab countries called for a brighter, safer and more peaceful future in Syria, emphasizing respect women and minorities and preventing the re-emergence of all terrorist groups.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan on Saturday. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP – Getty Images

The statement stressed that “the political transition process must be Syrian-led and owned.” [and] produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government.

No representative from Syria was present at the meeting.

The talks reflect cautious optimism about the evolving role of HTS in governing Syria, with the first signs of efforts to establish stability after 13 years of civil war and among the country's many factions.

One of Washington's priorities is the return of American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared in Syria more than ten years ago. Blinken said in Jordan that he stressed the importance of reuniting with Tice in negotiations with the new Syrian parties.

Tice was reportedly taken prisoner near Damascus in August 2012 while covering the country's civil war. But while thousands of prisoners were released when HTS took control of Damascus, Tices' whereabouts remain unknown.

Obaida Al-Arnaot, an official spokesperson, said the Syrian interim government had tried to find Tice, 43, to reunite him with his family, but had so far been unsuccessful. President Joe Biden told reporters last week that efforts to locate his position in Syria were ongoing.

In another sign of this changing dynamic, Turkey announced on Sunday the reopening of its embassy in Damascus after 12 years, while schools and universities have also resumed activities in areas formerly controlled by Assad.

Turkish Defense Minister Yaar Glerhas said his country was ready to offer military training to Syria “if the new administration requests it.”

In comments authorized for publication on Sunday and translated by Reuters, Gler said Turkey saw no signs of a complete Russian withdrawal after satellite images appeared to show Russian forces packing up and dismantling military equipment in the one of their main bases in Syria.

I don't think the Russians are going to leave,” he said. “They will do everything they can to stay.

As the transition continues, there are concerns about the situation of Syria's minority groups. Kurdish communities, in particular, have expressed distrust of HTS, given their past association with Al-Qaeda and the uncertain future of ethnic and religious minorities under its control.

In a message to the Kurds, HTS leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, sought to allay fears with a statement on Saturday, saying the Kurds are part of the homeland and that there will be no injustice against them.

The future Syria will be based on the Kurds, we will live there together and everyone will assert their rights, he declared.

Women pose for a photo with rebel fighters in Damascus last week.Omar Sanadiki/AP

The message is part of HTS's ongoing efforts to project a more moderate image and distance itself from its al-Qaeda past, even as the United States continues to view the group as a terrorist organization. In 2018, the United States put a bounty on Al-Sharaa's head of $10 million.

Israel remains deeply concerned about the extremists' takeover in neighboring Syria and carried out several airstrikes against Syrian arms depots and air defenses overnight Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The attack appears to be the latest in a series of airstrikes that Israel says are aimed at preventing Assad's arsenal from falling into militant hands.

But U.S. involvement in HTS could signal a potential shift in Washington's approach, raising hopes that it could eventually lift the tough sanctions it has imposed on the country for decades and has intensified at the start of the civil war in 2011.

We hope to see a quick end to sanctions so that we can actually see a rally around building Syria, UN envoy Geir Pedersen told reporters during a visit to Damascus to meet the new interim government .

Biden has already emphasized continued U.S. involvement in Syria, without saying whether Washington would withdraw or reconsider that designation.

We will work with all Syrian groups, including through the United Nations-led process, to establish a transition from the Assad regime to an independent, sovereign and independent regime, he said last week. Syria with a new constitution, a new government serving all Syrians.

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