US in ‘direct contact’ with jihadists in Damascus – Blinken

The opposition groups dominated by Islamists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have seized power in Syria last week

Washington is maintaining direct contact with the al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group that was instrumental in overthrowing the government of President Bashar Assad in Syria, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. 

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a loose coalition of armed opposition groups that captured Damascus on December 8, forcing Assad into exile in Russia. HTS was founded as a merger of several jihadist groups, including Al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Syria. HTS chief Ahmed al-Shaara, better known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, previously led Al-Nusra.

HTS is listed as a terrorist organization in the US, with an active $10 million bounty for the help in capturing al-Julani. 

Blinken acknowledged contacts with HTS during a press conference in Aqaba, Jordan on Saturday. Asked whether the US has been in communication with the group currently holding power in Damascus, Blinken replied, “Yes, we’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties.” He later clarified, “That’s direct contact, yes.”

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Blinken reiterated that Washington hopes the new authorities will “produce an inclusive and representative government,” where “the rights of all Syrians – including minorities and women – should be respected.” 

He added that all parties should prevent the resurgence of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and other terrorist groups, describing the American-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as “playing a critical role in pursuing that mission.”  

Al-Julani has made efforts to rebrand his group as a more moderate force, claiming that his views have evolved. During the opposition’s lightning offensive against the government army, he made promises to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and Kurds. However, multiple disturbing videos have since emerged online of various anti-Assad groups executing POWs and civilians.