Tillerson signals open-ended U.S. presence in Syria, seeks patience on Assad's removal
Secretary of State's speech sets out Trump administration's new strategy on Syria
The United States on Wednesday signalled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader U.S. strategy to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran's influence.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in a speech at Stanford University in California, made clear the U.S. would work diplomatically toward Assad's exit from power but called for "patience" — an acknowledgment that Assad has been bolstered by Russia and Iran and is unlikely to leave power in the near future.
Billed as the Trump administration's new strategy on Syria, the announcement will prolong the risks and redefine the mission for the U.S. military, which has for years sought to define its operations in Syria along more narrow lines of battling ISIS and has about 2,000 U.S. ground forces in the country.
Much of the U.S. strategy would focus on diplomatic efforts, Tillerson said.
"But let us be clear: the United States will maintain a military presence in Syria, focused on ensuring ISIS cannot re-emerge," he said.
He acknowledged, however, that many Americans are skeptical of military involvement in conflicts abroad.
U.S. forces in Syria have already faced direct threats from Syrian and Iranian-backed forces in the country, leading to the shoot-down of Iranian drones and a Syrian jet last year, as well as tensions with Russia.
Trump administration officials, including Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, had previously disclosed elements of the policy, but Tillerson's speech was meant to formalize and clearly define it.
A U.S. disengagement from Syria would provide Iran with an opportunity to reinforce its position in Syria, Tillerson said.
As a presidential candidate, U.S. President Donald Trump was critical of his predecessors' military interventions in the Middle East and Afghanistan. As president, Trump had to commit to an open-ended presence in Afghanistan and, now, Syria.
The transition to what appears to be open-ended stability operations in Syria could leave those U.S.-backed forces vulnerable to shifting alliances, power struggles and miscommunications, as Assad's allies and enemies vie for greater control of post-war Syria.
After nearly seven years of war, hundreds of thousands Syrians killed and a humanitarian disaster, Tillerson asked nations to keep up economic pressure on Assad but provide aid to areas no longer under ISIS control.
"Our expectation is that the desire for a return to normal life, and these tools of pressure, will help rally the Syrian people and individuals within the regime to compel Assad to step aside," Tillerson said.
The top U.S. diplomat said Washington would carry out "stabilization initiatives," such as clearing landmines and restoring basic utilities, in areas no longer under ISIS control while making clear that "'stabilization' is not a synonym for open-ended nation-building or a synonym for reconstruction, but it is essential."
Tillerson said the United States would "vigorously support" a United Nations process to end the conflict, a so-far stalled process. He called on Russia, a main supporter of Assad, to "put new levels of pressure" on the Syrian government to "credibly engage" with UN peace efforts.
The UN special envoy for Syria said on Wednesday he had invited the Syrian government and opposition to a special meeting to be held next week in Vienna.
But it was not immediately clear how or why Moscow would heed Washington's oft-repeated demands.
