US, GCC pledges to continue anti-ISIS mission in Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – During their meeting in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Thursday, the US and Gulf countries stressed their continuing support for the US-led Coalition’s forces in Syria until the enduring defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS).
Earlier today, the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states held a Joint Ministerial Meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on strategic partnership.
After the meeting concluded, US Secretary of State told reporters, “we do not believe that the Assad government deserves to return to the Arab League,” in regards to the League’s decision last month to readmit Syria, which had been barred from the organization since Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown against protestors in 2011.
The final statement of the meeting pledged to continue “support for the US and Coalition forces working to defeat ISIS in Syria.”
The US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS was formed by the US in September 2014. It committed itself to defeating ISIS by supporting partner forces on the ground, represented by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Kurdish Peshmerga and other Iraq-based forces.
The statement also highlighted the necessity for creating the necessary conditions for the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of Syrian refugees and IDPs.