Removing the terrorist label of HTS is not yet at hand.
The United States has sent diplomats to Syria to negotiate directly with the rebels who have taken power in the country. The goal is to promote a transition toward a moderate new administration and to obtain information about Americans missing in Syria, the US State Department said.
It is the first US diplomatic-level visit to Damascus since the start of the civil war in 2011.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation is scheduled to meet both members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and activists, representatives of non-governmental organizations and minorities. HTS is defined as a terrorist group in the United States. Its roots are in the terrorist organization al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, and in addition to the United States, several other countries have classified it as a terrorist group.
The US is not expected to change the terrorist label of HTS until a change of power in Washington.
However, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has opened up new connections. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a week ago that the US has already been in direct contact with HTS.
The US closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 and has no plans to reopen it.