Biden administration urges Syrian rebels to support inclusive government
United States President Joe Biden
The outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration has called on the Islamist rebel group, that helmed the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to refrain from assuming automatic leadership of Syria, as per two US officials and a congressional aide that was briefed on the first contacts with the group.
The United States is engaging in communications with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist organisation formerly aligned with al-Qaeda, in coordination with its Middle East allies, notably Turkey. HTS, designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, operates primarily in Syria's Idlib Governorate.
The administration is coordinating with President-elect Donald Trump's team about the matter, said one of the officials.
These discussions are part of a broader effort to navigate the complex aftermath of President Bashar al-Assad's ouster.
A US official, requesting anonymity, revealed that the government has been communicating with the Syrian rebel group, providing guidance on establishing a formal governing structure for the war-torn country.
The United States wants the transitional government to reflect the will of the people of Syria rather than being controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) without a formal leadership selection process.
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Rebels name Mohammed al-Bashir as head of transitional govt
Rebel factions in Syria, who ousted Bashar al-Assad from power following their November 27 offensive, on Tuesday (Dec 10) named Mohammed al-Bashir as head of a transitional government.
Citing state media, a report by the news agency AFP said that the transitional government would be in place until March 1. "The general command has tasked us with running the transitional government until March 1," a statement attributed to Bashir said.
WATCH |US., Israel, Turkey, Bomb Syria From Three Sides
The statement referred to him as the new prime minister of Syria.
Bashir has been serving as the prime minister of the Syrian Salvation Government since January 13 this year.
Al-Bashir is an engineer by profession. Following the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, he became the director of an educational institution which provided education to children affected by the conflict.
As rebel groups led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an offensive against the Assad government forces in late November, al-Bashir stated that the offensive was launched in response to attacks on civilians by Syrian government troops, which he claimed had led to the displacement of "tens of thousands" of civilians.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)