PNN – The New York Times reported on Sunday night: The United States has been in contact with rebel groups in Syria through Turkey and is now discussing extensive engagement with them.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the New York Times, citing unnamed officials, wrote that the United States has indirectly sent messages to rebel groups in Syria in recent days.
This report added: Now that these groups have taken control of Damascus, the capital of Syria and ousted Bashar al-Assad from power, US President Joe Biden and his senior advisors are discussing the extent of direct interaction with these groups.
U.S. and Turkish officials said the U.S. sent a message through the Turkish government, which has ties to the groups, after the groups launched a massive offensive and before they took control of Damascus.
The initial messages were intended to tell the groups “what not to do,” one official said.
One of the messages the US sent through the Turkish government was that rebel groups should not allow ISIS militants to participate in their offensive against the Assad regime.
These groups responded through the Turks, assuring that they had no intention of allowing ISIS to participate in their government.
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According to the New York Times, these messages were transmitted to the Turks through military, intelligence and diplomatic channels.
US President Joe Biden said Sunday night that the United States will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the situation in Syria.
Meanwhile, within the Biden administration, there are discussions about engaging more directly with these groups regarding their past behavior and connections to extremists.
Syrian armed groups that have taken control of Damascus have gathered in a coalition called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the United States has listed as a terrorist organization.
A senior U.S. official said U.S. intelligence agencies and senior administration officials should continue to evaluate Tahrir al-Sham’s editorial board and its leader, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani.
This senior American official said: We have to look at their behavior. We should exchange some indirect messages and see what happens.
American officials announced that although Tahrir al-Sham’s editorial board is on the list of terrorist organizations, the Biden administration is allowed to talk with it and its leader, but cannot provide them with material support.
So far, the Biden administration has not had a direct dialogue with the Tahrir al-Sham editorial board, but instead has had close and direct cooperation with Kurdish groups known as the Syrian Democratic Forces.