Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to Turkey has uncovered a dramatic shift in US policy toward Syria, as Tillerson declared in his visit with Turkey’s Foreign Minister that the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be left up to the Syrian people.
Throughout the Syrian Civil War, US officials have repeatedly insisted that Assad must have no political involvement in any future Syrian government, and have repeatedly demanded his unconditional resignation for years. Even in efforts to broker a future deal for elections, US officials maintained Assad could never run for office again.
The idea of leaving Assad’s future up to the Syrian voters was previously pushed both by the Syrian government and by Russia, and had been scoffed at by most Western countries, who were insisting heavily on regime change as the result of the war.
The Trump Administration has shifted war priorities in Syria toward fighting ISIS, and away from imposing regime change, and this may reflect the reality that the Assad government is probably not going to be forced from power outright by the rebellion. A tacit acceptance that the Assad question is up to the voters could help with negotiating a settlement of the war, though it’s likely also going to fuel more anger from the rebels.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley confirmed the shift, saying that removing Assad from power is no longer “the priority” for the US in Syria.
In the meantime, Tillerson’s visit to Turkey, which aimed primarily at getting Turkey to accept US backing for the Kurdish YPG, ended in failure, with Turkish officials again condemning the US for supporting the Kurdish “terrorists.”
Hooray!
So the plan just goes dark. Right into CIA turf. Let’s keep it off the books. Tillerson: “I think the .. longer term status of President Assad will be decided by the Syrian people”.. yeah, that’s the ticket.
Syria is a bombed out shambles. Who would want to rule it? The remaining Syrians are probably terrified that if they re-elect Assad they will continue to get bombed by the U.S. and Israel.
Russia had already determined that the US wouldn’t be allowed to oust Assad, but the US/Trump can take credit for it if they think it’s popular.
Russia’s next task is to prevent regime change in Iran. With Assad’s future in Syria likely settled, Russia will likely be an interlocutor with Iran because I think that Russian would have chosen Syria over Iran if given an ultimatum.
There are many videos on youtube of Putin expressing his perspectives. Listening to him helps to have a clue to what he is about. He is not into protecting regimes nor is he into toppling them.
Russia’s position has been that the Syrian people should pick their leader. They are not committed to Assad staying. They are committed to preventing another Libya anarchy state.
I hope the Defense Dept and the CIA get the message.
A big blunder of last year was the failed coup d’état in Turkey. It shifted Turkey closer to Russia and Iran and created potentially a very bad situation for US establishment. If the new alliance will work, Pakistan may join it as well, and, of course, Iraq and Syria. It may create a really great perspective for Muslim World. Don’t forget that Russia is also a Muslim country.
Other bad story is developing in Ukraine. It was not so difficult to change the regime, but Crimea and Donbass were lost in the process and what makes it even worse: the new regime doesn’t work at all. So, in attempt to save the situation, all neo-Nazi groups united in something which looks like national-socialist coalition and, most likely, a new regime change is going to happen in a not so remote future.
Excellent news. Finally we’re seeing some action in Trump’s foreign policy.
Unfortunately we’re seeing that action in Yemen also.
Except that’s just a continuation of Obama’s policy.
Right, a continuation. Like his botched raid that was initiated with Obama and was carried out by him. Not even mentioning his hawkish talk with Iran and North Korea or talk of escalating in Somalia.
Trump, like every other cold-blooded killing President before him, wants to make his “legacy” at the expense of millions of dead and suffering defenseless homeless innocent people! Why doesn’t the USA just leave the rest of the world alone and fix its own terrible internal problems, instead of projecting them on the rest of the planet?
Hank now you have made two very good and totally sensible comments . why hasn’t our political leaders been able to see this for the last many years ? I’ll tell you why ? Because they have been secretly trying to establish a world government , A government that we know nothing about
Leaving the rest of the world alone and minding its own business was what Trump laid out in his inauguration speech. Now he has to put it into action.
Gee wiz . . a nation that repeatedly claims it is spreading “freedom and democracy” has to claim that it is the Syrian people who must decide Assad’s fate? And this after five years of trying to unseat him with hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refuges created, courtesy of mercenary “terrorists” like ISIS? What Tillerson stated shouldn’t have to be stated! It should be a given . . . and with this accepted, the USA should get out of Syria and let the HONEST anti-terrorist forces, Russia and Syria, clean up the USA’s mess! This is almost like a fire chief reminding the public that firemen are there to fight fires, not start them. The “fire” that the USA helped start in Syria is just the opposite of what Tillerson claims to stand for! So what’s it going to be- more “fire” or putting it out for good and leaving Syria alone?
It will be interesting to see the reaction to this new policy given the daily Russia bashing being served up by the corporate media.
They will largely ignore it and carry on focusing on portraying Trump as a Russian manchurian candidate.
Wow… I’m sure the little uncivilised brown people will be SO appreciative that the Big White Man has so graciously given his permission for Syrians to run their own affairs and choose their own leaders….
to be fair he has to make some statement on it after all the “Assad must go” rhetoric from Obama and co the last 5 years. Does he mean it ? hopefully, but there’s always a chance Israel could spark something and drag the US into another regime change war.
I genuinely think Trump wants to get out of the regime change wars, only problem is that whilst the US still has a heavy presence in that region that stance can quickly be changed by events :- / and Trump has bought into the “war on terror”.
In a shocking turn of events, the US may tolerate the results of democratic elections in Syria! Such begrudging support for proper process is not encouraging.
Apparently, Nikki Haley is saying much the same thing, BUT – note that Haley also said: “What we are going to focus on is putting the pressure in there so that we can start to make a change in Syria.”
More here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/us-assad-syria-ambassador-un-nikki-haley-a7659266.html
Sounds as if “regime change” is still in the air, just not so much emphasis on removing Assad as the first order of business.
Did Nikki Haley get permission from her masters at AIPAC to say removing Assad was not a priority?
If Syria’s future is really up to the Syrian people then why doesn’t Tillerson pull our f**king troops out. America first, remember? Practice what you preach.
It’s better than regime change, but it doesn’t mean Syria will have sovereignty. There are at least 1,000 US troops in Syria now, and there’s no sign they will leave or not increase in number. Further, Israel occupies part of Syria.
Russia has put an end to US regime change in Syria. Just don’t get any idea of regime change being called off. It’s a slower process of regime change due to Russia’s interference. Anybody who would try to credit any of this to Trump has their heads firmly planted up their collective a-sholes.
Don’t get any ideas of the US happily sharing power with Russia in Syria. It only appears that partition of Syria is the US goal. It’s not because it doesn’t work that way.
Partition of any country only promotes a US led cold war against Russia and that’s not the endgame.
Depends what the meaning of “Syrian people” is.
Or if there’ll be any of them left standing after they’ve been ‘liberated’.