In Aqaba, Jordan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Saturday that U.S. officials have engaged in direct communication with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian rebel group that led the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s regime last Sunday. HTS is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. and other nations.
Blinken’s announcement marks the first public acknowledgment by a U.S. official of contact between the Biden administration and HTS.
While Blinken declined to detail these communications during a press conference in Aqaba, he emphasized the importance of conveying U.S. messages to HTS regarding its conduct and governance plans during the transition period.
“Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken stated, adding, “our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.”
Designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department since 2018, HTS faces significant sanctions, including a ban on providing material support. However, these sanctions do not prohibit communication between U.S. officials and designated groups.
In a Syrian television interview on Saturday, HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani) didn’t directly address contact with the U.S., but he noted that the new authorities in Damascus are interacting with Western embassies.
Following the seizure of Damascus, HTS has focused on establishing security and initiating a political transition, aiming to reassure a population both shocked by Assad’s fall and concerned about extremist elements within the rebel forces. Rebel leaders claim HTS has renounced its extremist past.
Al-Sharaa delivered a video message on Friday congratulating “the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution.”
U.S. officials have noted al-Sharaa’s positive statements about protecting minority and women’s rights, but remain cautious about his long-term commitment to these pledges.
On Friday, the rebels and Syria’s unarmed opposition facilitated the transfer of an imprisoned American man to U.S. officials.
The search for Austin Tice, an American journalist missing near Damascus for twelve years, continues.
“We have impressed upon everyone we’ve been in contact with the importance of helping find Austin Tice and bringing him home,” Blinken said.