US in direct contact with Syrian rebel group which seized power, confirms Blinke

The United States is in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir alSham HTS which has gained control of Damascus after overthrowing the over twodecade regime of Bashar alAssad US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Saturday local timeBlinken also affirmed that the US is committed to finding home Austin Tice an American journalist who has been missing in Syria since 2012 Weve been in contact with HTS and with other parties We have impressed upon everyone weve been in contact with the importance of helping find Austin Tice and bringing him home he told reporters in JordanWeve also shared the principles that I just laid out for our ongoing support principles again that have now been adopted by countries throughout the region and well beyond And weve communicated those Blinken addedRegarding reports of Russian military withdrawal from Syria Blinken acknowledged reports of Russian withdrawals though he refrained from offering specific details beyond media reports I cant comment on anything beyond what Ive seen in reported in the media Blinken remarked directing further inquiries to other administration officials for clarificationNotably Blinken who was on an unannounced tour to the Middle East met Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia alSudani in Baghdad on Friday to discuss the future of neighbouring Syria Blinken arrived in Baghdad after stopping in Turkiye where he also emphasised the importance of working against a resurgence of ISIL During his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan he spoke stressed the importance of a Syrialed and Syrianowned transitionBlinkens visit to Baghdad was the final stop on his Middle East tour following the toppling of President Bashar alAssads government in Syria According to Al Jazeera Blinken and alSudani discussed the need for Syrias transition from dictatorship to democracy to be inclusive and protective of all minoritiesThey discussed the conviction of so many countries in the region and beyond that as Syria transitions from the Assad dictatorship to hopefully a democracy it does so in a way that of course protects all of the minorities in Syria that produces an inclusive nonsectarian government Blinken said adding that Syria should not become a platform for terrorismI think this is a moment as well for Iraq to reinforce its own sovereignty as well as its stability security and success going forward Blinken said After the Syria rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir alShamb entered Damascus forcing President Bashar alAssad to flee from the country ending his over twodecade rule in the countryRecently the opposition declared Mohammed alBashir as the interim Prime Minister alBashir prioritised the repatriation of Syrian refugees living abroad as one of his main objectives He said that one of his first goals is to bring back the millions of Syrian refugees who are abroad He also emphasised the need for stability and calm in Syria and stated that he is collaborating with officials from Bashar alAssads former regime to restore public services and institutionsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever