This article is from: baltimoreravens.com
By Simon Lewis and Matt Spetalnick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s top aides were heading to the Middle East on Wednesday seeking to advance efforts to reach an elusive Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal and help ensure a smooth transition in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to visit Jordan and Turkey, while U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan planned stops in Israel, Qatar and Egypt in coming days, U.S. officials said.
The high-level tour could help shape Biden’s legacy in the turbulent Middle East in the final weeks of his term before former President Donald Trump returns to the White House on Jan. 20.
Biden administration officials have kept Trump’s aides updated on their diplomatic efforts in the region, though they insist they are not directly coordinating with the incoming administration.
High on the agenda for Biden’s aides will be the future of Syria, where opposition militias overthrew Assad over the weekend, ending a 50-year family dynasty in a shockingly fast takeover after 13 years of civil war.
Blinken, who will visit Aqaba, Jordan and Ankara, Turkey through Friday, will “reiterate the United States’ support for an inclusive, Syrian-led transition to an accountable and representative government,” the State Department said.
The Biden administration, along with governments in the region and the West, has been scrambling to find ways to engage with the Syrian rebel groups including leading rebel faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group formerly allied with Al Qaeda and which is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., European Union, Turkey and the U.N.
Blinken and Sullivan, on separate trips, will also try to make progress toward a deal to end the 14-month war in Gaza and secure the release of the remaining hostages held there by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Such an agreement, which has involved mediation by Qatar and Egypt, has hit one obstacle after another and has yet to materialize.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis and Matt Spetalnick, additional reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Doina Chiacu, Alexandra Hudson)
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