The ongoing civil war between the Syrian rebels and it’s government continues on the daily and it seems the next step is for outside forces to continue to offer their services – including the United States and Turkey. Hit the jump for the full story.
U.S Vice President Joe Biden says the United States and Turkey will only enter into Syria should the Syrian government and rebels fail to reach a political settlement.
The next round of Syrian peace talks are scheduled to begin on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, but are at risk of being delayed partly because of a dispute over who will comprise the opposition delegation.
On Saturday, Syrian rebels said they hold the Syrian government as well as Russia responsible for the failure of peace talks to end the civil war, even before negotiations were set to begin.
At a news conference after a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Biden stated:
“We do know it would better if we can reach a political solution but we are prepared …, if that’s not possible, to have a military solution to this operation in taking out Daesh.”
(Daesh is the pejorative Arabic acronym for Islamic State insurgents who hold parts of Syria)
The United States has also sent dozens of special forces to help rebels fighting Islamic State in Syria although the troops are not intended for front line combat. A U.S official later stated that Biden was referring to a military solution against the Islamic State, not Syria as a whole.
The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition ruled out even indirect negotiations, unless Damascus (Syria’s capital) took steps which included a halt to Russian air strikes. Biden said he and Davutoglu also discussed how the two NATO allies (U.S and Turkey) could further support Sunni Arab rebel forces fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
Washington, along allies, is also conducting air strikes against ISIS militants who hold large chunks of Syria and Iraq and support opposition fighters battling the group.
U.S Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his confidence on Saturday of peace talk negotiations in Syria, after he spoke with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in Saudi Arabia.
