Damascus doubts US will target Assad’s forces

A US warning that it would use its air power to defend Pentagon-trained rebels against Syrian troops is met with skepticism by officials in Damascus.

A political figure close to the regime tells AFP that the US had “relayed a message to Damascus not to worry about these statements.”

“It’s about hitting Al-Nusra hard, not the Syrian army,” he says, referring to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, which has been battling both the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad and moderate rebels, some of them US-trained.

On Monday, the US administration said it was prepared to take “additional steps” to defend US-trained rebels from Al-Nusra, warning Assad’s regime “not to interfere.”

A US-led coalition has provided air support for Kurdish and rebel militia fighting the radical Islamic State group since September 2014, but has not struck regime positions.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday that Assad’s regime could be targeted if it attacked the new US-backed forces.

— AFP