Blinken meets with Jordanian king in Syrian diplomacy, writes Reuters

From Simon Levis (YOU:)

AQABA, Jordan (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Jordan’s King Abdullah on Thursday as the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden pushes for an inclusive transition in neighboring Syria after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

The top US diplomat, who will travel to Turkey later on Thursday, is in the region to seek support and establish a unified approach to principles that Washington hopes will guide Syria’s political transition after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

“It should be inclusive, non-sectarian,” Blinken told reporters in Aqaba moments before departing for Ankara, describing the criteria for the transition process. “It must support and protect the rights of all Syrians, including minorities, including women,” he said.

He also warned that Syria was being used as a base for terrorism and extremism by groups like ISIS, while reiterating the importance of securing and destroying the country’s stockpile of chemical weapons.

These principles, Blinken said, are key to success.

(They are also) key to unlocking international recognition, international support that Syria badly needs after decades of dictatorship, conflict, corruption, isolation,” Blinken said.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group is playing a key role in Damascus after leading the ouster of Assad, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family in a swift takeover after 13 years of civil war.

HTS was previously allied with Al Qaeda and has been designated a terrorist organization by the US, the European Union, Turkey and the UN

In Aqaba, Blinken and Abdullah also discussed the need for a cease-fire agreement in Israel’s war in Gaza in which the hostages are freed, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Biden’s team is pushing for a deal between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the final weeks before former President Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20. But it’s not clear whether Biden has enough influence in the region to secure major deals before he leaves office.

Biden administration officials have kept Trump aides informed of their diplomatic efforts, but say they have no direct coordination with the new administration.

Since the fall of the Assad government, Israeli warplanes have carried out hundreds of strikes against targets in southern Syria, including anti-aircraft batteries, military airfields, weapons production sites, fighter jets and missiles.

Blinken said Israel was concerned about any power vacuum the extremists could fill, but that Washington was talking to the Israelis about a way forward.

“It’s also very important at this point that we all try to make sure that we don’t cause additional conflicts,” Blinken said.