US officials in 'direct contact' with victorious Syria rebels

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirms contact with the HTS group, despite it still being on the US terrorism list.

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It is the first acknowledgement of direct US interaction with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the US currently still designates as a terrorist organisation.

Blinken told reporters the US has been in contact in particular over the fate of the missing American journalist, Austin Tice.

Blinken was speaking in Jordan after talks with representatives from several Arab countries, Turkey, and Europe to discuss the future of Syria.

Officials agreed to support a peaceful transition process in the country, with Jordan's foreign minister saying that regional powers did not want to see it "descend into chaos".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y46713z21o

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