WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (KUNA) -- Spokesperson of the Department of State Matthew Miller renewed the US call for de-escalation of hostilities between the armed groups and the regular troops in northern Syria.
Speaking to reporters at the State Dept. on Monday, he said what the US wants to see in the short-run are de-escalation and protection of civilians and minority groups, but "our overall policy remains the same -- we want to see a serious and credible political process to end this civil war once and for all." The UN Security Council Resolution 2254 provides that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the opposition groups must engage in a UN-facilitated political process to determine the way forward, he noted.
Affirming the urgency of de-escalation of hostilities in the short-run, Miller said clam could provide ground for a Syrian-led process that could lead to elections in the end.
Recalling that the US had slapped more sanctions on al-Assad's regime since 2011, he said those sanctions would remain in place until the regime changes its behavior. He made the comments days after the Syrian opposition groups launched a surprise offensive on the regular army and recaptured Aleppo and other major cities in northern Syria. (end) rsr.gb