Washington (AP) A new Syrian government that rejects terrorism, eliminates chemical weapons stockpiles, and defends the rights of women and minorities will be recognized and supported, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.
In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would cooperate with regional allies and Syrian organizations to make sure the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s regime goes smoothly. Although the State Department has not ruled out negotiations with the biggest Syrian opposition group despite its categorization as a terrorist organization, he was evasive about which factions the U.S. will cooperate with.
According to him, the new government and transition process must also maintain unambiguous pledges to protect the rights of minorities, allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need, keep Syria from becoming a terrorist base or a threat to its neighbors, and make sure that any stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons are safely destroyed.
Blinken went on to say that the Syrian people should make their own decisions about their future and that other nations should refrain from interfering and instead encourage an open and transparent process.
According to Blinken, the United States will acknowledge and fully back any future Syrian government that emerges from this process. We are ready to provide all necessary assistance to Syria’s many groups and stakeholders.
The rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which the United States has classified as a foreign terrorist organization since 2012, was responsible for the lightning attacks that over the weekend brought down the Assad regime.
The State Department states that the listing itself does not restrict communication between its members and U.S. authorities, but it will reconsider that designation if the group takes action to change the grounds behind it.
U.S. authorities certainly have the legal authority to speak with a designated terrorist organization when it is in our best interests, Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated on Monday.
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