US signals openness to Assad staying put

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(CNN)The Trump administration doubled down Thursday on focusing on the battle versus ISIS over ending the Syrian civil war and eliminating its primary lead character, President Bashar al-Assad-- an idea that was quickly slammed by hawks on the Hill.

Indicating a possible shift in United States policy on the war in Syria from the days of the Obama administration, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated on a journey to Turkey that the "longer-term status of President Assad will be chosen by the Syrian individuals."

And in New York, United States Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley was even more powerful about the Trump administration's choice not to promote Assad's departure. "Our concern is not to focus and sit on getting Assad out," Haley informed wire press reporters Thursday, inning accordance with AFP.

"Do we believe he's a limitation? Yes, "she stated."Are we going to sit there and concentrate on getting him out? No."

However, a United States main informed CNN that Haley's remarks were misinterpreted. The authorities stated the United States ambassador was not providing Assad a totally free pass, and she called Assad a "war criminal" in a look Wednesday at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.

The main described to CNN that the concerns of the administration now are not solely about Assad, however likewise beating ISIS, stopping the spread of Iran's impact, safeguarding United States allies in the area and aiming to end the Syrian civil war.

If the United States does definitively desert the policy of needing Assad's departure-- a position articulated by the Obama administration-- it would put its policy better in line with Russia, which supports Assad, and at chances with allies in Europe and in Turkey, where Tillerson minimized frictions that are currently straining that alliance.

The remarks drew heavy criticism from Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Republicans who have actually long promoted for an increased United States military existence in Syria versus Assad and his Russian allies.

"This ignores the terrible truth that the Syrian individuals can not choose the fate of Assad or the future of their nation when they are being butchered by Assad's barrel bombs," Arizona's McCain stated in a declaration.

Meanwhile, South Carolina's Graham stated, "If journalism reports are precise and the Trump Administration is not concentrating on eliminating Assad, I fear it will be the most significant error because President Obama cannot act after drawing a red line versus Assad's usage of chemical weapons."

In Turkey, Tillerson's new diplomatic abilities were tested in his most tough diplomatic objective considering that taking workplace. He fulfilled for 2 hours behind closed doors with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the eve of a huge push versus ISIS' Syrian fortress of Raqqa. Tillerson's objective was to encourage Erdogan that the Kurds-- the Turks' sworn opponent-- are crucial partners in the effort to beat the fear company.

The leading United States diplomat evaded concerns at the press conference about United States assistance for the Kurdish militia YPG, which the United States thinks about the greatest fighters to pursue ISIS, however stated the 2 nations gone over "options." His Turkish equivalent signified that United States assistance for the YPG stays among a couple of stumbling blocks in US-Turkey relations.

"What we went over today are alternatives that are readily available to us," Tillerson stated after a conference with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. "They are hard alternatives. Let me be really frank. It isn't really simple. They are challenging options that need to be made."

Cavusoglu decried the United States persistence on seeing Turkish Kurds at war with Turkey as different from the YPG militia in Syria, which has actually gotten arms and assistance from Washington. He informed press reporters, "It is a sadness for us that this sort of assistance has actually been extended (by the United States to the YPG)."

A senior State Department authorities informed CNN prior to the talks that Tillerson's message to Erdogan would be that the United States is dedicated to dealing with the Kurds in the offensive versus Raqqa.

Tillerson was set to inform the Turks that "we are going to do exactly what we need to do," the authorities stated. "It's not a delighted message and they aren't going to like it, however this is exactly what he needs to inform them." The main continued that Tillerson likewise informed them that "our concern is the long-lasting relationship with the Turks-- however at the minute, the emerging crisis needs us to utilize the folks who will combat."

Cavusoglu stated that United States assistance for the Kurdish forces coming from the YPG militia, which it thinks about terrorists, has actually distressed Turkey and damaged efforts to reset the US-Turkey relationship after the election of President Donald Trump.

"We can combat Daesh together," Mr. Cavusoglu stated, utilizing the Arabic word for ISIS. He included that "it is not remedy to combat versus one terrorist company while co-operating with another."

He stated there was no distinction in between the YPG militias dealing with the United States in Syria and the PKK, a group that has actually released horror attacks versus Turkey and which the United States has actually branded a terrorist company. While Tillerson kept in mind Turkey had actually suffered attacks at the hands of PKK, he did not correspond the group with the YPG.

Kurds aren't the only source of friction in the United States relationship with Turkey, a NATO ally that hosts 2 United States military bases.

Key amongst them is that the United States has yet to hand over the Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, a United States citizen whom Erdogan implicates of managing a coup effort last summertime.

Turkey's need that Washington extradite Gulen, whom Turkey blames for leading in 2015's stopped working coup, towered above Tillerson's talks. Gulen rejects participation in the effort.

Cavusoglu stated Turkey supplied sufficient proof to the United States and stated that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had actually promised to "assess the files diligently." He stated Turkey wishes to see "concrete actions," and requested for the United States to provide a provisionary arrest warrant for Gulen while the extradition procedure moves on

"We have to take shared actions to put relations with the United States back on track," he stated.

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