US was in contact with new Syrian regime forces prior to takeover: NYT
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The Biden administration is considering the extent to which it will have direct contact with new regime forces in Syria and is assessing the HTS and al-Jolani.
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The United States President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff attend the 47th Kennedy Center Honors at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the United States, on December 8, 2024. (AFP)
The United States has been in indirect contact with the forces now serving as the transitional government in Syria, officials told The New York Times.
Forces that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have been contacted by the Turkish government on behalf of the US since their offensive was launched on November 27 and before they took over Syria's capital, Damascus, according to US and Turkish officials.
The initial messages sent by the US to the armed groups informed them of "what not to do," one of the officials told NYT.
Among those messages, the US told militants not to allow ISIS to participate in their offensive, to which they responded by saying that they had no intention of doing so.
After the armed groups took control of the capital and al-Assad took asylum in Russia, US President Joe Biden's administration is now considering the "extent to which they should engage directly" with the armed groups going forward.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a proscribed terrorist organization by the US and the United Nations, is heading the armed forces. Additionally, Washington has designated its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, a terrorist and has set a $10 million reward for him.
Now, NYT reports that US intelligence agencies and top Biden administration officials are still in the process of evaluating HTS and al-Jolani.
"A charm offensive might mean that people are turning over a new leaf and they think differently than they used to so you should hear them out," a US official said, adding that it was al-Jolani is currently doing.
"On the other hand, you should be cautious because charm offensives can sometimes be misleading," the official said.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration also continues to monitor and manage the ongoing conflict between Kurdish groups and Turkish-backed armed forces, primarily the Syrian National Army (SNA).
The US continues to closely work with its partners namely the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to officials, the US has provided intelligence support to the SDF in their takeover of areas in eastern Syria.
Read more: Int'l, regional reactions to Syria regime change; calls for stability
