U.S. Says Raids by Syria Not the Answer to Iraq Turmoil

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The United States said Thursday it opposed a role by Syria in resolving Iraq's turmoil after President Bashar Assad's government was said to have carried out air strikes against militants.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, facing Sunni extremists who have swept across his country from war-torn Syria, told the BBC that Assad's air force this week struck the insurgents on the Syrian side of the border, in a marked escalation.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, while not confirming the air strikes, said that the United States believed military action by Assad would not be "in any way helpful to Iraq's security."

"Iraq's security situation cannot and should not be resolved by the Assad regime, by air strikes from the Assad regime or by militias funded and supported by other countries in the region stepping in," Harf told reporters.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, has offered 300 military advisers to help push back the extremist forces but has opposed a wider involvement and blamed Maliki for alienating minorities.

Obama has also resisted calls for intervention in Syria against Assad, who has ruthlessly put down a rebellion waged by both hardline and moderate Sunni rebels.

The chaos comes as the Obama administration explores repairing ties with Iran, a Shiite clerical state that has staunchly supported both Maliki, a fellow Shiite, and Assad, a secular leader from the heterodox Alawite sect.

Harf said that Iran, unlike Syria, "could play a constructive role" in Iraq if it "did things to promote an inclusive government" and did not promote a sectarian Shiite agenda.

Secretary of State John Kerry heads Friday for consultations with U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, a conservative Sunni monarchy which is strongly critical of both Assad and Maliki.

Comments 4
Missing saudi 26 June 2014, 21:41

For the USA, the mouth piece of Israel, would rather shiaa Iran answer to Iraq crises but not Secular Assad. I love Shiaa Iran and believe in Iranian intent. Yet this USA move is another proof of the sectarian intent of USA-Israel in the region.

Thumb theresistance4.0 26 June 2014, 22:31

I totally agree brother! This is all a game to cause a Sunni Shia war by the US/Israel cut up Syria and Iraq leaving weaker states and in the process the newly formed "kurdistan state" with create an oil pipeline directly from the fromer Iraq crossing over Jordan to its end destination Israel....This whole thing is a ruze but Arabs are just to damn tribal to see and think straight!!

Thumb cedre 27 June 2014, 00:36

assadi-khomeynist alliance from iran to lebanon...

Missing 7alesh 27 June 2014, 06:24

theresistance4.0 stop accusing the U.S of all what goes around us. And start objectively criticizing how we really are. Look at you for example, an educated clever man that if asked by your syed to jump of your balcony (with some explosives if needed to kill anyone who he names for you) you would actually do it.
don't lie. you would actually do it. Because you are "feda sirmaiyto lal syed"