The US has made “direct contact” with Syrian insurgent group HTS, which led the offensive that toppled the Assad regime, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has mentioned.
It was the primary acknowledgement of direct American contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the US nonetheless designates as a terrorist organisation.
Blinken was talking in Jordan after talks with representatives from a a number of Arab international locations, Turkey and Europe to debate the way forward for Syria.
Officials agreed to help a peaceable transition course of within the nation. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi mentioned regional powers didn’t need Syria to “descend into chaos”.
A joint communique referred to as for an inclusive Syrian authorities that respects the rights of minorities and doesn’t provide a base for “terrorist teams”.
The discuss each inside and out of doors Syria after the tumultuous occasions of latest weeks has been of the very important significance of organising new governance that represents all Syrians.
At the assembly in Jordan, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein expressed concern over Syria’s future shared throughout the Middle East and past.
He mentioned regional gamers didn’t need to see one other Libya – referring to the chaos that ensued after Colonel Gaddafi’s removing from energy.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned current Syrian establishments have to be preserved and reformed.
“Never permit terrorism to benefit from the transition interval. And we now have to coordinate our efforts and study from the errors of the previous,” Fidan mentioned in accordance with Reuters information company.
The strongest insurgent group, HTS, has indicated that it’s searching for an inclusive authorities. But the group’s violent jihadist previous has left some doubting whether or not it’s going to stay as much as such guarantees.
Blinken has mentioned that Washington has been in direct contact with HTS – specifically over the destiny of the lengthy lacking American journalist, Austin Tice.
“We’ve been involved with HTS and with different events,” Blinken instructed reporters in Jordan.
Missing from the talks in Jordan was any consultant from Syria. The overseas ministers from eight Arab international locations that did attend the assembly mentioned they wished to make sure that Syria was unified and never break up alongside sectarian strains.
Also absent had been the 2 international locations that gave monetary help to Assad that enabled him to outlive in energy for therefore lengthy – Iran and Russia.
The shadow of all the surface forces that battled over Syria for therefore lengthy hangs heavy on the nation’s future.
The rising political entities in Syria will want cohesion not simply contained in the nation however exterior, too, if there may be to be any actual hope for the Syrian individuals to construct on the heady style of freedom that they’ve skilled previously week.
