U.S. says ousting Assad no longer a priority

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States admitted Thursday, March 30 that it is no longer focused on ousting Bashar al-Assad as it seeks a new strategy to end Syria's civil war, AFP reports.

In New York, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley condemned Assad's history of human rights abuses against his own people.

But she said Washington would focus on working with powers like Turkey and Russia to seek a political settlement, rather than focusing on Assad.

"You pick and choose your battles," Haley told reporters.

"And when we're looking at this, it's about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit and focus on getting Assad out."

Shortly before Haley briefed a small group of journalists, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sent a similar signal at a news conference in Turkey.

"I think the... longer term status of President Assad will be decided by the Syrian people," Tillerson said, standing alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The Syrian opposition, whose cooperation will be needed in any negotiated solution, reacted furiously to the U.S. shift in stance.

"The opposition will never accept any role for Bashar al-Assad at any phase," said Monzer Makhos, a spokesman for the HNC, the opposition negotiating group.

"There will be no change in our position," he warned.

Under Barack Obama's administration, the U.S. made Assad's departure a key goal, but new president Donald Trump has put the accent on defeating the Islamic State group.