US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Jordan this Thursday (12) for urgent meetings following the collapse of the Syrian government.
Blinken will meet with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and King Abdullah as the region and the United States grapple with the potential repercussions of the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The secretary plans to discuss , for a responsible and representative government.”
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“Clear commitments to fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to all those in need, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbors, and ensuring that any stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons be protected and destroyed safely.”
Blinken promised for the first time on Tuesday (10) that the US will “recognize and fully support” a new Syrian government that is chosen by the Syrian people in an inclusive and transparent way and that adheres to these principles.
The secretary asked that “all nations support an inclusive and transparent process and refrain from external interference.”
Blinken and Jordanian leaders also hope to discuss the broader situation in the region, including efforts for a ceasefire and a hostage deal in Gaza.
Understand the conflict in Syria
The Assad family regime was overthrown in Syria on December 8, after 50 years in power, when rebel groups took over the capital Damascus.
President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and is in Moscow after gaining asylum, according to a source in Russia.
Syria’s civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad suppressed a pro-democracy uprising.
The country was plunged into full-scale conflict when a rebel force was formed, known as the Free Syrian Army, to fight government troops.
Furthermore, the Islamic State, a terrorist group, also managed to gain a foothold in the country and came to control 70% of Syrian territory.
Fighting escalated as other regional actors and world powers — from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States to Russia — joined in, escalating the country’s war into what some observers described as a “proxy war.”
Russia has allied with Bashar al-Assad’s government to combat the Islamic State and rebels, while the United States has led an international coalition to repel the terrorist group.
After a ceasefire agreement in 2020, the conflict remained largely “dormant”, with minor clashes between the rebels and the Assad regime.
More than 300,000 civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the UN, and millions of people have been displaced across the region.
