President Trump plans to give political support to the local Syrian forces who have partnered with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday.
“President Trump has acknowledged that there is more work to be done to complete the defeat of ISIS and he is committed to finishing the job as quickly as possible while setting the conditions that will prevent its return,” Pompeo said in a Tuesday morning bulletin.
Trump’s policy toward Syria following the defeat of ISIS has been the subject of internal debate and public revision. Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pledged “to maintain a military and diplomatic presence in Syria,” but the president subsequently announced that U.S. forces would withdraw “very soon.” French President Emmanuel Macron had some success in lobbying Trump not to abandon the country to surging Iranian forces.
“[W]e don’t want to give Iran open season to the Mediterranean, especially since we really control it to a large extent,” Trump said in April.
Pompeo’s statement, hailing a new offensive against an ISIS affiliate in northeastern Syria, is the clearest recent statement of support for U.S. partners in opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“We will help ensure that the Government of Iraq has the support it needs to fully secure it borders against ISIS and other terrorist threats, pursuant to our Strategic Framework Agreement with Iraq,” he said. “We will also work to ensure that all the diverse people of northeast Syria, including Arabs, Kurds, Christian, and Turkmen, have an appropriate say in defining the future of Syria pursuant to the political process set forth in the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.”
Russia, which is partnered with Iran to prop up Assad, has accused the United States of using ISIS as a pretext for engagement in Syria. “The U.S. are trying to form alternative bodies of authority on the vast parts of the Syrian territory,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in January.
Western powers have declined to finance the restoration of Syrian territory controlled by Assad, following years of the regime’s use of chemical weapons and aggressive bombing campaigns to recapture cities held by rebels and terrorists.
“[W]e continue to call on Coalition members, our regional partners, and allies to share the burden for ongoing stabilization efforts that are critical to preserving the military gains that have been achieved,” Pompeo said.
