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ANI
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said US officials are in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group. Recently in Syria, rebel groups ousted the government of President Bashar al-Assad. However, the US and other countries have declared the rebel group a terrorist organization.
Aqaba (Jordan). US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that US officials are in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group. Recently in Syria, rebel groups ousted the government of President Bashar al-Assad. However, the US and other countries have declared the rebel group a terrorist organization. Blinken is the first US leader to publicly confirm contacts between the Joe Biden administration and the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
HTS led the coalition of opposition groups that ousted Assad from power last Sunday. At a news conference in Aqaba, Jordan, Blinken did not discuss details of the contacts, but said it was important for the US to send a message to the group about its conduct and governance during the transition. “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 stand ready to help them do that.”
HTS, once affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has been declared a terrorist organization by the US State Department since 2018. Under this, there are many restrictions on the organization and the people associated with it. However, the sanctions do not legally bar US officials from communicating with specified groups. HTS has worked to establish security and initiate regime change in Syria since capturing Damascus and has sought to reassure the public. Rebel leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past.
Disclaimer: Prabhasakshi has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
