In an attempt to clear the Trump administration’s message regarding the next steps for Syria, President Donald Trump said: “We will not be going into Syria.”
He said this in an exclusive interview with Fox that aired Wednesday. Last week, US President Donald Trump launched missile strikes against an airbase in Syria.
Pres. Trump called the President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, an “animal.”
In the same interview, he said that the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is backing someone who is truly evil and has no regard for his people.
The comments that Pres. Trump made recently were some of his most definitive declarations since he ordered the dropping of more than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles in Syria. However, his words were followed by several mixed messages from the officials of his administration. According to the Press Secretary of the White House, Sean Spicer, the US won’t serve as the policeman of the world. Later, he said that if the country sees another use of chemical weapons against innocent people, the possibility of action will be held open.
As for the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson said that Trump’s administration is against a “violent change” at the top in Syria. The ambassador of the US to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that they don’t see any hope of peace in Syria if Assad continues to rule. She also thinks that there is only one way to bring peace to the country and that is by overthrowing Assad. Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, asserted the issue with Syria and said that the problem has already spiraled out of control.
During the interview of Pres. Trump with Fox, the President appeared resolute. He said that the loyalty of Putin to Assad is not just bad for Russia, but it is also bad for the entire world.
Turning back to the Syrian President, Trump said that when a President “drops bombs, gas, or barrel bombs and drops them in a town of innocent people, he’s an animal.”
As of now, it is still unclear as to how the White House’s official position toward Russia and Syria will evolve. However, several members of the Congress urged Trump’s administration to make it a bit clearer.
Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, said Friday on the floor of the Senate that the administration should by now be clear on its objectives in dealing with the regime of Al-Assad. Still, any action that would be taken should preserve the government’s intentions. As for Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, he said that al-Assad has to be reminded that there are consequences to every action taken. According to Schumer, Assad has to pay the price for committing “despicable atrocities.”
Russia announced that it will be severing a hotline that Syria and Kremlin have used since 2015. The announcement was made several hours after the airstrikes. The landline was there to ensure aircraft from both Syria and Russia don’t clash since Syria’s skies are generally crowded.
