U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken stated that the future of Syria, following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, should be decided by the Syrian people and expressed support for a political transition.
On the 10th (local time), Secretary Blinken issued a statement titled "The Syrian People Will Decide Syria's Future," saying, "The United States reaffirms its full support for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition."
He added, "This transition process must lead to a credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance that meets international standards of transparency and accountability, in accordance with the principles of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254."
Secretary Blinken stated, "The new government must fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to all those in need, prevent Syria from being used as a terrorist base or a threat to neighboring countries, and uphold a clear commitment to the safe destruction of all chemical and biological weapons stockpiles."
He further said, "All countries must pledge to support an inclusive and transparent process in Syria and refrain from external interference," adding, "The United States will recognize and fully support the future Syrian government that results from this process."
Recently, rebel forces seized the capital Damascus, and just prior to that, President al-Assad fled to Russia in exile. On this day, the rebels appointed Muhammad al-Bashir, a member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main faction of the rebels, as the prime minister to lead the transitional government. Although the U.S. has designated HTS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), according to the U.S. political media outlet Politico, discussions are underway regarding the possible removal of HTS from the terrorist designation list.
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