U.S. Officials Have Been in Contact With Syrian Rebel Group

AQABA, Jordan — American officials are in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that led the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s government but has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and others, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday.

Blinken is the first US official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (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 did not discuss details of the contacts but said it was important for the United States to convey messages to the group about its behavior and how it plans to govern during the transition period.

“Yes, we are in contact with HTS and other parties,” Blinken said. “Our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we are ready to help them.”

HTS, once linked to Al Qaeda, has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department since 2018. This definition carries serious sanctions, including a ban on providing any “material support” to the group. or its members. However, sanctions do not legally prevent US officials from communicating with designated groups.

The group’s leader, formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani, did not mention any direct contact with the United States in an interview broadcast on Syrian television on Saturday, but said new authorities in the capital Damascus were taking action. Contact western embassies.

After capturing Damascus, HTS worked to restore security and initiate a political transition, seeking to reassure a public both stunned by the overthrow of Assad and concerned about extremist jihadists among the rebels. Rebel leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past.

Al-Sharaa congratulated the “great Syrian people on the victory of the holy revolution” in a video message released on Friday.

U.S. officials say al-Sharaa has made positive comments about protecting minority and women’s rights, but they doubt he will implement them in the long term.

On Friday, rebels and Syria’s unarmed opposition worked to safely deliver an American man imprisoned by Assad to U.S. authorities.

US officials continue their search for American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared near Damascus 12 years ago.

“We told everyone we came in contact with the importance of helping find Austin Tice and bring him home,” Blinken said.