Biden says US will work with partners in Syria to manage risk, build a better future

“The United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risk,” says US President Joe Biden, after rebel fighters overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

In remarks at the White House, Biden says the United States will support Syria’s neighbors through the period of transition and will assess the words and actions of rebel groups.

Biden says the United States does not officially know Assad’s whereabouts, but noted reports that he fled to Moscow. He says Assad “should be held accountable.”

Biden says Syria is in a period of risk and uncertainty, and that it is the first time in years that neither Russia nor Iran nor the Hezbollah militant organization hold an influential role in Syria.

“For years, the main backers of Assad have been Iran, Hezbollah and Russia. But over the last week, their support collapsed — all three of them — because all three of them are far weaker today than they were when I took office,” says Biden, who became president in 2021.

Biden says US forces on Sunday conducted a dozen precision strikes within Syria targeting camps and operatives of the Islamic State.

“It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country. It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty,” Biden says.