As the fragile cease-fire and peace talks in the Syrian conflict seemingly crumble, US President Barack Obama indicated that sending ground troops to the Syria in the future to oust Bashar Al-Assad would be a “mistake”.
In an interview with the BBC, Obama added that the US should make efforts to convince Assad’s allies to mediate a political process in Syria.
Obama added that the international community should work to reduce the area seized by ISIS.
Geneva peace talks between representatives of the Assad regime and opposition forces stalled earlier this month when the opposition suspended its participation. The decision came after after the regime’s delegation refused to discuss a political transition.
The opposition’s proposal entailed the formation of a transition council. However, the Assad regime advocated enfolding opposition members into the government without displacing the current Syrian president
Riyad Hijab, head of the opposition’s Supreme Negotiations Committee, criticized the UN envoy to envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura saying violence has increased since he took the position.
Speaking to journalists in Turkey, Hijab defended the opposition’s decision to withdraw from the negotiations. He urged the international community to review the current ceasefire which appears to be falling apart.
The Syrian army recently carried out military operations near Aleppo, which were condemned by the opposition.
De Mistura, however, vowed to continue advocating for a political process to end the five-year Syrian conflict.
A ceasefire backed by Russia and the US came into effect on February 27. According to Russia, the agreement does not include the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Nusra Front.
Since September 2014, a US-led coalition has been attacking locations held by Al-Nusra, Jund Al-Aqsa, IS, and Ahrar Ash-Sham inside Syria.
