Saturday, June 2, 2018

Assad May Use Force against US Troops in Syria; Threatens to Do So If They Don't Quit Syria Soon

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has threatened to use military force against U.S. troops in Syria if they do not withdraw from the country soon, the Reuters website reports today (June 2, 2018).

In an interview with Russia's RT international broadcaster, Assad said he would negotiate with fighters backed on the ground by Washington, but would reclaim territory they control by force if necessary.

The U.S. State Department said it was not looking to fight Syrian or Iranian forces, but would use "necessary and proportionate force" to defend U.S. and partner forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran, appears militarily unassailable in Syria's ongoing civil war that has killed a half million people, uprooted around 6 million people in the country, and driven another 5 million abroad as refugees.

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