US Ambassador Says Military Options Against Syria Remain

Says Assad won't be allowed to seek peace while continuing to fight

James Jeffrey, the US Ambassador for the Syrian War, has reported on Friday that Bashar Assad needs to be removed from office, and that US military options against him remain open.

Jeffrey was objecting in particular to reports that the UN had made a deal on a Syrian constitutional committee which would work on a legal framework for post-war Syria. The committee includes both pro-government officials and the opposition.

A negotiated settlement has been something the US has long opposed, as they’ve wanted the US to have a substantial say in how Syria will be organized after the war, with Assad and his allies forced out.

Jeffrey presented the US as opposed on the grounds that Syria is continuing to fight rebels in Idlib Province (primarily al-Qaeda). He said the US would not allow Syria to negotiate peace while continuing to fight rebels.

With the US also accusing Syria of another chemical weapons attack in May, albeit once again without evidence, there remains the possibility of the US just attacking Syria outright. Barring this, however, the US doesn’t really have a way to prevent the UN-brokered talks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.