Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, Dan Shapiro, announced that the deployment of US troops in eastern Syria would continue, explaining that the US presence "is only to ensure the final defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict." According to Regnum", the Associated Press informs.
"We call on all sides in Syria to protect the civilian population, especially the representatives of Syrian minorities, respect international military norms and work towards a political settlement resolution.
"Many of the participants in this conflict have a horrific record that includes Assad's horrific crimes, Russia's indiscriminate airstrikes, Iranian-backed militias, and ISIS atrocities," Shapiro said.
At the same time, the representative of the Pentagon showed caution when commenting on the downfall of the Syrian authorities. "If this is confirmed, no one should shed tears for the Assad regime," he added.
