The US is concerned about the possible resurgence of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). Here we explain.
U.S. officials have said they are closely monitoring the political crisis in Syria, which escalated Sunday with the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Assar after more than a decade of war.
While the greatest concern lies in an eventual resurgence of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), on Sunday Syrian families who have remained in exile were trying to return to the countryamid jubilation within the devastated nation and growing concerns around the world about what might come next during an eventual transition.
US concerns about possible resurgence of ISIS
U.S. officials have so far insisted that their priorities are focused on ensuring that the country's conflict does not fuel a resurgence of the Islamic State militant group or lead to a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
US President Joe Biden and his team are monitoring “extraordinary developments in Syria” and are in contact with regional partners, the White House said in a statement.
Contagion “is a concern,” said national security adviser Jake Sullivan, with particular concern about the so-called Islamic State, also known as ISIS.
In earlier phases of Syria's protracted civil war, “at its worst, we saw ISIS explode on the scene,” he said at a conference in Simi Valley, California, hosted by the Reagan National Defense Forum.
The top priority is to ensure “that the fighting in Syria does not lead to a resurgence of ISIS,” Sullivan said. “We are going to take action ourselves, directly and working with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurds, to ensure that does not happen.”
The United States has about 900 troops in Syria, including American forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group, according to the agency. The Associated Press.
Gen. Bryan Fenton, head of the U.S. Special Operations Command, told the AP that he did not want to speculate on how the turmoil in Syria would affect the US military's presence in the country. “It's still too early to tell,” Fenton had said.
What wouldn't change is the focus on disrupting IS operations in Syria and protecting US troops, Fenton said during a panel at the event.
Sullivan also said the Biden administration is working to ensure that allies Israel, Jordan, Iraq and others in the region, “who would potentially face spillover effects from Syria, are strong and safe, and we are in contact with them every day.”
Washington is also alert to stop a “humanitarian catastrophe, both in terms of civilians, access to vital needs and in terms of protecting religious and ethnic minorities in Syria,” Sullivan said.
“Of course, an event like this happens and ISIS immediately looks to take advantage. We've seen reports that ISIS is trying… to reconstitute itself to some degree.”
Therefore, the United States will seek to “contain potential violence and instability,” protect allies and ensure that ISIS does not “get new oxygen from this” that could lead them to threaten the interests of the United States or its allies, Sullivan added. .
Sullivan's comments come as Washington prepares for a transition of power next month back to former President Donald Trump, who defeated Biden in the November election.
Trump, who visited Paris on Saturday, warned against US intervention in Syria, saying the country is “a disaster” and “not our friend.”
“THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Sullivan, referring to Trump's comments, agreed, saying, “The United States is not going to… militarily wade into the middle of a Syrian civil war.”
(Contains report from AP, AFP and Reuters)