US appears open to holding talks with Syrian rebels

MADRID Dec. 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States has shown itself open to holding talks with the Syrian rebel groups that have taken control of the Government, including the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), and have caused President Bashar al Assad to flee to Russia.

“We want to have conversations with the key groups inside Syria, either directly or indirectly. It is obvious that HTS is one of them,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stressed at a press conference.

Miller recalled that although HTS is on the list of terrorist organizations, Washington can maintain communication with those who are on the ‘blacklist’. In this sense, he recalled that the United States reached an agreement with the Taliban to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan.

Likewise, he highlighted that the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, remains in contact with actors who have influence within Syria, conversations in which Washington has made it clear that the first thing it wants for the country is a “de-escalation.”

“We want to see, ultimately, a political reconciliation and a political path forward that serves the interests of the Syrian people, not the interests of any of the various organizations,” Miller said.

The offensive in Syria, launched on November 27 from the province of Idlib and led by HTS, has allowed jihadists and rebels to take the capital, Damascus, and put an end to the regime of the Al Assad family, in power since 1971, before a constant withdrawal of government troops, backed by Russia and Iran.