US Had Direct Contact With Syrian Rebel Groups, Blinken Says
The talks aimed to determine the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice, according to Blinken. The United States has been in direct contact with Syrian rebel groups including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is now the country’s dominant force following the collapse of the long-ruling Assad regime, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday.