By Simon Louis (Joe:)
Aqaba, Jordan (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Jordanian King Abdullah on Thursday as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration seeks a comprehensive transition in neighboring Syria after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.
The top US diplomat, who will travel to Turkey later on Thursday, is visiting the region to seek support and develop a unified approach to the principles that Washington hopes will guide the political transition in Syria after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
“It must be comprehensive and non-sectarian,” Blinken told reporters in Aqaba moments before leaving for Ankara, describing the criteria for the transition process. He added: “It must support and protect the rights of all Syrians, including minorities, including women.”
He also warned against Syria being used as a base for terrorism and extremism by groups such as ISIS, stressing the importance of ensuring the security and destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles in the country.
Blinken said that these principles are necessary to achieve success.
“(They are) also important for gaining the international recognition and support that Syria so desperately needs after decades of dictatorship, conflict, corruption and isolation,” Blinken said.
The rebel Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham plays a major role in Damascus after it led the overthrow of Assad, ending more than 50 years of Assad family rule in quick control after 13 years of civil war.
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham was previously allied with Al-Qaeda and was designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, Turkey and the United Nations.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Blinken and Abdullah also discussed in Aqaba the need for a ceasefire agreement in the Israeli war in Gaza under which the hostages would be released.
The Biden team has been pushing for an agreement between Israel and Palestinian militants (Hamas) in recent weeks before former President Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20. But it is unclear whether Biden has enough influence in the region to secure key agreements before he takes office. Leaves his post.
Biden administration officials have kept Trump's aides updated on their diplomatic efforts, but say they are not coordinating directly with the incoming administration.
Following the collapse of the Assad government, Israeli military aircraft carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in southern Syria including anti-aircraft batteries, military airfields, weapons production sites, fighter jets and missiles.
Blinken said Israel is concerned about any power vacuum that could be filled by extremists, but Washington is talking with the Israelis about the way forward.
“It's really important at this time that we all try to make sure that we don't create any additional conflicts,” Blinken said.
