US President Joe Biden sees an opportunity for a new start in war-torn Syria with the removal of strongman Bashar al-Assad. “It’s a historic chance for the long-suffering people of Syria,” he said in the White House on Sunday.
However, he also noted that it’s a “moment of risk and uncertainty.” The US will work with its partners and those on the ground to give the Syrian people a chance.
Assad’s support from Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia has collapsed in the last few weeks, Biden said. “Because all three are much weaker than when I took office,” the US president stated.
Iran and Hezbollah have been busy launching attacks on Israel and have no capacity for Syria, he explained. Russia, meanwhile, has been deeply embroiled in the Ukraine war, making it impossible to maintain support for Assad, Biden said.
For now, the US will support Israel’s neighbors – Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Israel – if they become a target from Syria, Biden said. “We will also continue our engagement against ISIS in eastern Syria,” the Democrat promised, as well as help restore a sovereign, rule-of-law state in Syria.
But the US will also “remain vigilant,” noting that some of those removing Assad have committed to terrorism and human rights violations, Biden said.