US steps up efforts to prevent Syria's fragmentation and Islamic State resurgence

The United States has stepped up its efforts to prevent the fragmentation of Syria and a resurgence of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group following the abrupt fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, while maintaining contacts with Islamist rebel groups to ensure a peaceful transition.

“The Syrian people must choose their own path and their own future,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at an event in Washington, warning that “this moment presents a historic opportunity, but it also carries considerable risks.”

The Biden administration is celebrating the fall of Assad as a defeat for Iran and Russia, but fears that the power struggle within the rebel ranks will fragment the country or create a vacuum that could be exploited by IS, which in 2014 controlled vast areas of Syria and Iraq.

The unexpected end of the Assad regime also coincides with the transition of power in Washington, where Republican Donald Trump, who has promised not to intervene in Syria, will be sworn in as president on January 20.

"We have a clear interest in doing what we can to prevent the fragmentation of Syria, mass migration from Syria, and of course the export of terrorism and extremism from the region to the world," Blinken said.

The US diplomat added that his country wants to ensure that chemical weapons in the possession of the Syrian government "do not fall into the wrong hands."

US forces carried out a dozen airstrikes in central Syria on Sunday, hitting 75 targets linked to IS, the Pentagon said.

The United States has 900 soldiers deployed in Syria, who will remain in the region as part of the international coalition against IS to prevent the jihadist group from taking advantage of the situation to reorganize.

“There is potential for elements in the area, such as the Islamic State, to try to take advantage of this opportunity and regain capability,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who expressed “surprise” at the speed with which the Assad regime collapsed.

Despite considering it a terrorist group, Washington has remained cautious with the Levant Liberation Organization (Hayat Tahrir al Sham or HTS in Arabic), led by Abu Mohammed al Jolani, protagonist of the lightning offensive that in a few days ended the 50 years of control of the Al Assad family over Syria.

Blinken welcomed the rebels' first statements on a peaceful transition in Syria, but warned that actions are more important than words.

“It is imperative that all actors involved protect civilians, respect human rights, especially those of vulnerable minorities, and preserve state institutions and services to help meet the needs of the people,” he stressed.

At a press conference, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that HTS's initial statements are "encouraging" and explained that the future of its designation as a terrorist group will depend on the actions it takes.

State Department officials are already in the region to analyze the situation, while Biden and Blinken plan to hold calls with their counterparts in Syria's neighboring countries.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will also travel to Israel this week for talks on the Gaza Strip and Syria.

Blinken said the United States is still seeking information on the whereabouts of American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in 2012 while covering the Syrian war.

The US government's chief negotiator for the hostages' release, Roger Carstens, is in Beirut trying to clear up any doubts, while the journalist's family has stepped up pressure for his release.

The US government itself believes that Tice was being held by the Assad government, so he could have supposedly been released with the other thousands of Syrians who have been released from the country's prisons in recent days. EFE