Blinken meets Jordan's king in Syria diplomacy push

AQABA, Jordan - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Jordan's King Abdullah on Thursday as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration pushes for an inclusive transition in neighboring Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

The top U.S. diplomat, who will head to Turkey later on Thursday, is in the region to seek support and establish a unified approach for principles that Washington hopes will guide the political transition in Syria following the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad.

"It should be inclusive, non-sectarian," Blinken told reporters in Aqaba moments before departing for Ankara, describing the criteria for the transition process. "It's got to uphold and protect the rights of all Syrians, including minorities, including women," he said.

He also warned against Syria being used as a base for terrorism and extremism by groups like ISIS, while reiterating the importance of ensuring the country's chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and destroyed.

These principles, Blinken said, are critical to success.

"(They are) also critical to unlocking international recognition, international support that Syria very much needs after decades of dictatorship, conflict, corruption, isolation," Blinken said.

Rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is playing a key role in Damascus after it led the overthrow of Assad, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family in a swift takeover after 13 years of civil war.

HTS was formerly allied with al Qaeda and is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., European Union, Turkey and the U.N.

In Aqaba, Blinken and Abdullah also discussed the need for a ceasefire deal in Israel's war in Gaza that sees hostages released, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Biden's team is pushing for a deal between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the final weeks before former President Donald Trump returns to the White House on Jan. 20. But it is unclear whether Biden has enough leverage in the region to secure major agreements before he leaves office.

Biden administration officials have kept Trump's aides updated on their diplomatic efforts, but say they are not directly coordinating with the incoming administration.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Israeli military jets have conducted hundreds of strikes on targets in southern Syria including anti-aircraft batteries, military airfields, weapons production sites, combat aircraft and missiles.

Blinken said Israel was concerned about any power vacuum that could be filled by extremists but that Washington was speaking to the Israelis about the way ahead.

"It's also really important at this time that we all try to make sure that we're not sparking any additional conflicts," Blinken said.

(Reporting by Simon LewisAdditional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in WashingtonEditing by Janet Lawrence, Frances Kerry, William Maclean)