The Biden administration has warned the rebel group that played a key role in ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against taking over the country’s automatic leadership.
Instead, US officials urged the group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), to facilitate a comprehensive process to establish a transitional government.
HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaida and labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, is engaged in talks with Washington’s Middle East allies, including Turkey, as part of a coordinated effort.
The administration is also in touch with President-elect Donald Trump’s team about the matter, an official said.
The talks, which have taken place over the past several days, are part of a broader strategy by Washington to move forward in the complex situation that has arisen since the sudden overthrow of the Assad regime on Sunday.
The US has sent messages to the group to guide initial efforts to establish a formal governing structure for the country, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The sources declined to say whether the messages were being sent directly or through an intermediary.
Officials say Washington believes the interim government should represent the wishes of the Syrian people and will not support HTS taking control without a formal process to elect new leaders.
The US National Security Council declined to comment.
Designation of terrorist
In 2013, the United States designated HTS leader Ahmad al-Shara, also known as Abu Muhammad al-Golani, as a terrorist, saying he had been tasked by al-Qaida in Iraq to overthrow the Assad regime in Syria.
It said HTS’s predecessor, the Nusra Front, carried out suicide attacks that killed civilians and espoused a violent sectarian approach.
The official said the administration was unclear about Golani’s role in Syria’s future government — or whether he still harbors extremist views.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken set the standard for Syria’s political transition on Tuesday, saying Washington would recognize a future Syrian government that equates to a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governing body.
A congressional aide told Reuters that some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are urging the administration to consider lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria, including those specifically related to the HTS, to meet some of the U.S. demands of the group. Instead, a congressional aide told Reuters.
The aide said there is a growing sense among some members of Congress that the U.S. will need a transitional government in Syria to connect to the global economy and help rebuild the country. The aide said sanctions are preventing that from happening.
Washington is also in contact with HTS and other actors on the ground about battlefield operations, an official said.
Senior US officials have repeatedly said they intend to continue military operations against ISIS in northeastern Syria, to ensure the radical extremist group does not pose a threat again, given the current power vacuum in the country. . U.S. forces in Syria will also continue to prevent Iranian-backed proxy groups from gaining land, an official said.