“We will not normalize relations with the Assad regime absent authentic progress towards a political solution to the underlying conflict. We continue to make this clear publicly and privately with our partners. And we have stressed to regional partners who are engaging with the … Syrian regime … that any credible step to improve the humanitarian and security situation for Syrians should be front and center in any engagement,” US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told journalists in Washington.
In Washington, “we don’t believe that Syria is - has merit for readmission into the Arab League at this time,” he added. "Ultimately, the countries will make their own sovereign decisions. That being said, though, that is not something we support. It’s not something we support our allies and partners doing either."
Saudi Arabia is leading efforts to restore ties with Assad and bring Syria back into the fold of Arab nations. The Kingdom last week hosted delegates from nine Arab countries to discuss ending Syria’s diplomatic isolation. And Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister visited Damascus this week where he met with Assad to discuss “the return of Syria to its Arab surroundings,” according to a statement from his ministry.
Syria was suspended from the Arab League of nations over repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011 that developed into a civil war that drew in international actors, including Russia, Iran, and Turkey. The United States also has troops on the ground in northeast Syria as part of the war against the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group that seized control of swathes of eastern Syria in 2014.
Syria’s conflict has killed more than 350,000 people, nearly half of them civilians, according to United Nations figures. Assad’s regime is accused of using torture and chemical weapons against opponents. International efforts, including by the United Nations, have made little headway in finding a political solution to the conflict.
The north of the country remains out of the central government’s control, with a Kurdish-led administration in the northeast and Turkey-backed rebels in the northwest.
The February 6 earthquakes that shook Syria and Turkey contributed to the thaw in relations, though not all Arab nations support ties with Assad. Qatar, Kuwait, and Morocco are among those opposed.
The Kurdish minority in the northeastern region known as Rojava, were historically discriminated against and marginalized in Syria. During the conflict, they carved out an area of control and received international backing as an ally in the war against ISIS.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Rojava administration said that a solution to the Syrian crisis must come from within the country, but called on the UN and Arab nations to “play a positive and constructive role in finding a common solution with the Syrian government, the AANES [Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria], and the national democratic forces.”
