Blinken Acknowledges U.S. Contact with Terrorist-Designated Syrian Rebel Group HTS on Austin Tice Case

Dec 14, 2024, 05:52 PM

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed during a visit to Jordan that the United States has been in direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main Syrian rebel faction designated as a terrorist organization. This marks the first time a U.S. official has publicly acknowledged direct communications with HTS. The discussions focused on efforts to locate missing American journalist Austin Tice and to stress U.S. principles for recognizing a future Syrian government. Blinken declined to specify who within the U.S. government is the primary point of contact with HTS.