Syrian conflict not US fight, says Trump

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - United States President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that the conflict in Syria is not America’s fight and it should not get involved.

“In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved,” Trump said in a message on Truth Social.

He said Russia is not able to help its ally the Syrian government because of its war in Ukraine and that ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad might be “the best thing that can happen” to Moscow.

Syria’s civil war dramatically reignited late last month when a coalition of rebels led by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a blistering offensive against the Syrian army. They quickly took control of the northern city of Aleppo, the largest in the country, and then advanced to capture the strategic central province of Hama. They also took control of Daraa city late on Friday and are reportedly advancing towards the capital Damascus. 

Washington has said that it is closely monitoring events in Syria.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Syria with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday, expressing concern for civilians, especially minority populations.

US forces are stationed in the northeast as part of a mission to combat the Islamic State (ISIS) alongside local partner forces.