The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Wednesday for the extremist Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—the spearhead of the Syrian rebel coalition that seized power in Damascus—to keep their promises of moderation if they want to avoid international isolation, like that faced by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

“The Taliban presented a more moderate face, or at least tried to, when they took power in Afghanistan. Then, their true nature emerged. The result is that they remain largely isolated from the world,” Blinken said in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in New York.

“If you are the group emerging in Syria, and you don’t want that isolation, there are certain things you need to do for the country to move forward,” he added.

The coalition of Syrian rebels seized power on December 8, ending four decades of rule by the Assad family in Syria.

The military leader of HTS, Murhaf Abu Kasra, known by his nom de guerre Abu Hassan al-Hamawi, called on the UN, the U.S., and European countries to remove the group from their lists of terrorist organizations.

HTS, a former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, claims to have severed its ties with jihadists.

Blinken called for the formation of a “non-sectarian” government in Syria that would protect minorities, continue the fight against ISIS, and ensure the elimination of the country’s chemical weapons arsenal.

According to the U.S. Secretary of State, HTS can also learn lessons from Assad’s downfall. He emphasized the need for a political resolution to the crisis in the country, stating, “Assad’s categorical refusal to engage in any political process is one of the factors that led to his downfall.”

The Taliban Retook Power in 2021 Following the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces

The Taliban regained power in 2021, shortly after the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan. After making some overtures to the West, the Taliban government reimposed its strict interpretation of Islamic law on the country, notably curtailing women’s rights significantly.

No country has recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, although China and the United Arab Emirates have accepted the credentials of ambassadors appointed by the Taliban.