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WASHINGTON: The US is prepared to work with Russia on establishing “no-fly zones” in Syria as part of a joint effort to stabilize the war-ravaged country, America’s top diplomat said Wednesday, ahead of President Donald Trump’s first face-to-face with Vladimir Putin.
In a wide-ranging statement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia had a “special responsibility” to help create stability on the ground — or risk hobbling the fight against Daesh.
Citing their past cooperation on the creation of deconfliction zones in Syria, Tillerson made a strong case for both countries — in spite of their “unresolved differences on a number of issues” — to work together in Syria.
“The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on the ground cease-fire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance,” he said.
It also came as US-backed fighters inch forward in Raqqa’s Old City, in what Washington sees as a “key milestone” in the campaign to defeat Daesh in its de facto Syrian capital.
“ISIS (Daesh) has been badly wounded, and could be on the brink of complete defeat in Syria if all parties focus on this objective,” Tillerson said. “In order to complete the mission, the international community, and especially Russia, must remove obstacles to the defeat of ISIS.”
“We call upon all parties, including the Syrian government and its allies, Syrian opposition forces, and Coalition forces carrying out the battle to defeat ISIS, to avoid conflict with one another and adhere to agreed geographical boundaries for military de-confliction and protocols for de-escalation.”
Russia, Turkey and Iran — without the US — agreed in May to establish four “de-escalation” zones in Syria. These are supposed to include no fly areas, where no warplanes can fly so as to guarantee the safety of civilians on the ground.
But on Wednesday those countries said they had failed to agree on the details, such as the boundaries of the zones and who will police them.
Tillerson also said Moscow as a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad has the responsibility of preventing his regime from further use of chemical weapons.
Meanwhile, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of a bus station in the central city of Hama on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding 11, according to Syrian state-run TV.
Separately, a monitor said that US-led coalition airstrikes have killed at least 224 civilians since the Syrian forces it backs entered Daesh bastion Raqqa a month ago. But the coalition pushed back against the report, saying its “critics” were not conducting “detailed assessments.”
“At least 224 civilians, including 38 children and 28 women, have been killed in airstrikes by the global coalition on Raqqa since the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) entered it,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In another development, a joint UN-OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) panel tasked with determining who was behind the deadly sarin gas attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun is facing heavy political pressure as it prepares to present its findings in mid-October, the head of the investigation said Thursday.
After meeting behind closed doors with the UN Security Council, Edmond Mulet complained of a “highly-politicized environment” in which unnamed “interested parties” were seeking to influence the panel.
“We do receive, unfortunately, direct and indirect messages all the time from many sides telling us how to do our work,” Mulet told reporters.
“Some of these messages are very clear in saying that if we don’t do our work according to them... then they will not accept the conclusions of our work,” he added.