The United States will not let a 2018 terrorist designation of the leading Syrian opposition force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), hinder communication between Washington officials and its leaders, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who spoke with reporters on Monday.
“We do have the ability, when it is in our interests, legally to communicate with a designated terrorist organization. There are things you can’t do under the law, but talking with people is not one of them,” Miller said, adding that representatives from the Biden administration have engaged with several of the insurgent groups “over the past few days.”
Despite outreach to HTS, a group once affiliated with both al Qaeda and the Islamic State in Syria, Miller indicated that the militia’s threat status remains unchanged for now. However, he noted the sanctions could be lifted “based on their actions.”
Federal law currently prohibits the U.S. government or its citizens from providing cash or monetary instruments, issuing legal documents, training operatives, transferring non-humanitarian materials, or offering consultancy to any HTS associate.
Miller’s comments were corroborated by an unnamed White House source, who informed The Associated Press that HTS will play a “key role” in Syria’s future, and emphasized the importance to “engage with them, appropriately, and with U.S. interests in mind.”
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