White Home on guard in opposition to Islamic State resurgence in Syria

LOS ANGELES — 

The White Home stated Saturday that U.S. priorities in Syria now are to make sure the nation’s battle doesn’t encourage a resurgence of the Islamic State militant group or result in a “humanitarian disaster.”

U.S. President Joe Biden and his staff are monitoring the “extraordinary occasions in Syria” are in contact with regional companions, the White Home stated on Saturday.

“President Biden and his staff are intently monitoring the extraordinary occasions in Syria and staying in fixed contact with regional companions,” the White Home stated in a press release.

Spillover “is a priority,” stated nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan, with specific fear concerning the so-called Islamic State, also referred to as ISIS.

In earlier phases of Syria’s long-running civil battle, “at its worst, we noticed the explosion of ISIS onto the scene,” he stated at a convention in Simi Valley, California run by the Reagan Nationwide Protection Discussion board.

The principle precedence is to make sure “that the preventing in Syria not result in a resurgence of ISIS,” Sullivan stated. “We’re going to take steps ourselves, immediately and dealing with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurds, to make sure that doesn’t occur.”

The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, together with U.S. forces working with Kurdish allies within the opposition-held northeast to forestall any resurgence of the Islamic State group, in keeping with The Related Press.

Gen. Bryan Fenton, head of U.S. Particular Operations Command, advised the AP he wouldn’t wish to speculate on how the upheaval in Syria would have an effect on the U.S. navy’s footprint within the nation. “It’s nonetheless too early to inform,” he stated.

What wouldn’t change is the deal with disrupting IS operations in Syria and defending U.S. troops, Fenton stated throughout a panel on the Reagan occasion.

Insurgent forces are within the midst of a lightning offensive and say they’ve begun to encircle Syria’s capital, Damascus.

Sullivan stated the Biden administration is working to make sure allies Israel, Jordan, Iraq and others within the area, “who would probably face spillover results from Syria, are sturdy and safe, and we’re in contact with them each day.”

Washington can be alert to stopping a “humanitarian disaster, each by way of civilians, entry to life-saving requirements, and by way of the safety of spiritual and ethnic minorities in Syria,” Sullivan stated.

“In fact, an occasion like this occurs and ISIS instantly seems to take benefit. We have now seen reviews of ISIS attempting … to reconstitute to a sure extent.”

So the USA will search to “comprise the potential violence and instability,” shield allies and be sure that ISIS not “get new oxygen out of this” that would make them threaten US or allies’ pursuits, Sullivan added.

Sullivan’s remarks come as Washington prepares for a transition of energy subsequent month again to former president Donald Trump, who defeated Biden in November’s election.

Trump, who visited Paris on Saturday, warned in opposition to US involvement in Syria, saying the nation is “a large number” and “not our good friend.”

“THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump stated on his Reality Social platform.

Sullivan, addressing Trump’s remarks, agreed, saying “the USA just isn’t going to… militarily dive into the center of a Syrian civil battle.”

Some materials for this report got here from The Related Press.