In a private meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres today, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared that the fate of Syria, and President Bashar al-Assad is “now up to Russia,” by way of accusing them of not standing by previous negotiations on a peace process for ending the Syrian War.
The US and Russia have both wildly disagreed about what the negotiated Geneva Process actually means, particularly the transition to a free election process, as the US has long maintained it implies absolute regime change, and that neither Assad nor any other high-ranking officials would ever be allowed to run for office again.
Tillerson told Guterres that the US has “limited tactical goals” in Syria, and that this doesn’t include weakening Assad’s government or trying to prop up rebels, despite having spent many years propping up the rebels and repeatedly demanding regime change.
If Tillerson’s comments are an accurate statement of US policy, it might significantly change policy, as it would presumably mean the end of US attacks against Syrian military targets, and a return to a focus on fighting ISIS. This, ironically, was the policy that President Trump had been expected to follow when he took office, before shifting his focus rather dramatically.
I am amazed to find something that Trump and Tillerson are apparently doing is the right thing to do. I can only hope they don’t do the opposite tomorrow, which is not unlikely for The Donald.
Lots of strange events usually means policy change in events if not in rhetoric… Trump changes his ken more often than the diaper… I’m still supporting him but as warily as if milking a cobra….
your not alone . but you still better off than be bitten by a cobra
The Donald may be crazy as the fox. He has given generals the power to defeat ISIS. The old fashioned neocon game of constantly shifting goals, expanding misdion, finding eexcuses why something cannot get done — may not work anymore. So, generals are complaining that Syrian army is getting in the way, by chasing ISIS from over 100 villages and towns, became a problem to generals that planned to stay. Russian bombing of ISIS mass movement of artillery and militants from Raqqa to Deir Azzir became a problem, as ISIS was expected to reinforce their positions against Syrian Army. Then a great unhappiness as Dyrian forces chased ISIS towards the border at Al-Tanf. Stop them st all costs, to prevent Iraq and Syria controling a msin supply highwsy vor ISIS. Brilliant. Even more brilliant — Syrian and Iraqi forces connect at about 50 miles east of Al-Tanf. Now, US pocket to the West is actually separated ftom ISIS — with the exception of the ISIS remnant north of Al-Tanf, on the border. How about tackling this little remnant — and turn the border over to Iraq? Who is the border reserved for? There are no Kurds in sight — so, what imaginary friends are our generals protecting there? When all of this has gone south — NSCcame up with bfilliant idea — chemical attack is planned by Assad! Sure, the Syrian Army needs such sn attack — while they are winning at times evrn 100s miles a day. The world exploded with the ridicule — another seapons of mass distraction! And while NSC made Trump “look presidential”. It just looked as a joke in the world. Here comes Tillerson clean up crew — the warning worked!
Trump has been doing what had been expected from Hillary, as laid out by her presumptive SecDef.
I suspect this was a matter of inertia in the “national defense” empire, reinforced by its attack on Trump’s Administration as blackmail to “act Presidential” in giving them their war.
Trump is weak. Therefore, it is likely that he’ll cave, and Tillerson’s statement is just shouting into the wind. But we can hope that the warmongering is finally being ended. I just wouldn’t count on it.
More American waffling. Next week the story will change.
There’s no “American policy” any more. There are at least five sources of policy: the White House, State, Pentagon, CIA, and local US commanders on the ground.
Oh, yeah, and Haley at the UN. Make that six.
Do I have this right according to Tillerson . neither Assad or anybody from his establishment can run for high office in Syria . How about we do this ourselves first in our democracy .. Nobody in any established leadership position of either political party can run for high office in our next election
Sounds good to me.
Regime change in Washington?
You need a U.S. Embassy there in order to affect that.
Six illusions. For there is only one reality,
those with old money and known as the rich nobility.
Make that a possible seven with Obama bringing ignorance and incompetency back into the mess.
Best for Syria is the expect worst from US and Israel!
This is a positive development at least rhetorically and represents a major shift of policy from the Obama years.
We always knew that Rex.
Crimea voted almost totally { 90+% } to go back to the Motherland – Syria voted almost totally { 80+% } for Assad as their President – What’s your F…n Problem Tillerson – can’t read %ages – or what ?
I agree fully with Px, below!!
Forget Tillerson. He doesn’t run anything. He’s a nobody compared to the neocons and generals and spooks who are really running the show and manipulating stupid Trump like a marionette.
The US military-industrial complex, the oil companies, the neocons and the Israel-Firsters are all salivating for a war with Iran. Israel won’t allow that to happen until Syria and Hizballah in Lebanon are taken out. They can’t take out Hizballah without taking out Syria.
So the US will continue to try to take out Syria somehow, working around – or through, if necessary – the Russians. THAT is US “policy” and nothing has changed.
“salivating for a war with Iran” If that were true, they could have had their war a decade ago. It hasn’t happened because they know they’ll lose. They like to stick their bread and butter; murdering civilians and stuffing money in their pockets.
The fact that it didn’t come-off doesn’t mean the drooling has stopped. They may not always get what they want – for the ‘mall trotters might object or the world turn them into paraiahs. Conditions just haven’t been ‘right’ yet for ‘doing’ Iran. Think about it on 9/11 the whole middle east had many characteristics of a good insurance company.
Reread my post. The ONLY reason we haven’t had that war yet is because Israel cannot afford it as long as Syria and Hizballah can function as effective actors in that war.
And the US has lost every war they’ve been in so far since WWII, which hasn’t stopped them from trying new ones every few years.
Tillerson has a long history of making statements that don’t jive with his administrations policies. I don’t put stock in anything he says anymore.
He’s talking for Trump, we can hope.
Here is a fact you would like to avoid. Operation Mockingbird … CIA operation to control media (right click) … https://www.google.com/search?q=cia+operation+to+control+media&oq=cia+operation+to+control+&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0.5253j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
There is no ‘US policy’, there is only Israel’s policy.
This is misleading. While Putin and Russian policy has been singular in support Assad as the only practical choice to prevent an even greater disruption of Syria and the whole region, the US had been predicated on a) change to his egime and b) breaking Syria into smaller ‘tribal’ or political zones.
Somebody is stupid enough to think that just because the tune is changed the band isn’t still the same. Or to try to ‘sell’ the next big hit as that.
I’d say wait and see what happens.
Too good to be true. Keep your fingers crossed, though .
Just before the last false flag CW attack, Tillerson said Assad’s fate was up to the Syrian people (the Russian position). The false flag attack was likely a response to that statement and engineered by elements determined to bring down Assad with the objective of getting people to support an outright invasion of Syria by the US.
The new statement is wiser as those elements determined to bring down Assad are going to have to support war with Russia, not just Syria. And no matter how much neocons want US to ‘stand up to Putin’, no one in reason wants war with Russia over Syria.