US warns Islamic State will attempt to re-establish capabilities in Syria
Blinken says Washington won’t allow ISIS to turn ‘moment of promise’ for Syrian people into ‘conflict and violence,’ will protect its personnel from any threats
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday that Islamic State will try to use this period to re-establish capabilities in Syria, but said the United States is determined not to let that happen.
Blinken said Syrians have to choose their future, adding that statements by rebel leaders toward building inclusive governance are welcome but that the real measure will be in the action they take, not just what they say.
Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and more than five decades of his family’s autocratic rule.
“The end of this regime is a defeat for all who enabled its barbarity and its corruption, none more than Iran, Hezbollah and Russia. So, this moment presents a historic opportunity, but it also carries considerable risks,” Blinken said at an event at the State Department.
“History shows how quickly moments of promise can descend into conflict and violence. ISIS will try to use this period to re-establish its capabilities, to create safe havens. As our precision strikes over the weekend demonstrate, we are determined not to let that happen.”
The ouster of Assad, after rebel forces swept into Damascus this weekend, shattered Iran’s network of influence in the Middle East, but Israel, the United States and Arab powers must now deal with the risk of instability and extremism from the mosaic of forces that replaces him.
Islamic State swept through large swaths of Syria and Iraq and established an Islamic caliphate in 2014 before it was driven out by a US-led coalition by 2019.
Blinken said the US would continue to protect its personnel from any threats.
In a tacit differentiation with President-elect Donald Trump, who has insisted that the United States has little at stake in the long-troubled nation, Blinken said that Washington had a series of interests in Syria — including keeping it together.
“We have a clear interest in doing what we can to avoid the fragmentation of Syria, mass migrations from Syria and, of course, the export of terrorism and extremism,” he said.
Blinken said that the United States also has a “clear interest in ensuring that whatever weapons of mass destruction or components are left in Syria do not fall into the wrong hands.”
The US Central Command said its forces conducted dozens of airstrikes on Islamic State targets in central Syria on Sunday. In a statement, CENTCOM said its strikes were aimed to ensure Islamic State does not take advantage of the current situation in Syria.
