Washington: US President Joe Biden called the Bashar al-Assad regime’s fall in Syria as a “historic opportunity” and outlined a blueprint for US support in the region, media reports said on Monday.
Speaking at the White House in his first substantive comments since President Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell in the face of an astonishingly swift rebel offensive, CNN reported.
Biden also announced the US had conducted dozens of airstrikes in Syria as it remains committed to preventing the resurgence of ISIS.
“It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country,” CNN quoted Biden.
“It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty. As we all turn to the question of what comes next, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risk, ” he added.
According to reports, Biden vowed to support Syria’s neighbours during the transition and to protect US personnel in their continued mission against ISIS.
The president plans to meet with his counterparts in the area in the coming days, and US officials will be deployed to the region.
As part of that effort, US forces on Sunday conducted dozens of airstrikes, striking more than 75 ISIS targets using Air Force assets, including B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets, and A-10 aircraft, according to US Central Command.
Biden’s comments come as President-elect Donald Trump — who takes the oath of office in just over six weeks has urged a hands-off approach to the conflict, saying Saturday that the US should not get involved. Early Sunday, as rebel groups took Damascus, he said the regime’s fall showed the “weakened state” of Russia and Iran, both of which supported Assad.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer,” Trump said in a post to social media.
Assad and his family fled to Moscow, where they were granted asylum, Russian state media said Sunday, according to reports.
The Assad regime’s collapse represented a spectacularly fast fall from power for the Syrian dictator after a 14-year war, one that had been relatively stagnant until just last month.
