Tillerson: The United States Remains in Syria to Help Overthrow Bashar Assad

The US Army will remain in Syria until the jihadist group Islamic State is finally defeated, as well as to resist Iranian influence and ultimately help with the overthrow of Bashar Assad, said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

In fact, he made it clear that the US military would remain in Syria not only to fight the jihadists but also against the power of Bashar al-Assad and his ally Iran.

"It is crucial for our national interest to maintain a military and diplomatic presence in Syria," Tillerson said in a speech on US policy in this conflict at Stanford University, California. "The US military mission will continue to have as its overriding goal not to allow the" Islamic State "to take over again. Islamic State now has one foot in the grave and retaining the US military presence in Syria, will soon make them enter with both feet, "said Tilerson.

He called for the same mistake to be made again in 2011 when "early withdrawal from Iraq allowed al-Qaeda to survive in this country and mutate, giving life to the Islamic State group. According to the US First Diplomat, a possible US withdrawal from Syria would give Iran a "golden opportunity to further strengthen its position in Syria," where Tehran is now in support of the Bashar Assad regime. "We need to make sure that resolving this conflict will not allow Iran to move closer to its big goal of controlling the region," he said.

In this speech, the US Secretary of State made for the first time a connection between the American presence and the need to bring down Bashar Assad. "The full US withdrawal at this stage will help Assad continue to terrorize its own people." According to him, just one new leadership to inherit Assad would provide stability, unity and independence. If the Syrian President leaves his post as part of a peace process under the aegis of the UN, it will create the conditions for lasting peace, the US Secretary of State said.

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