James Jeffrey: Washington doesn’t have the authority to prevent countries to normalize relations with Assad
The former US envoy to Syria, James Jeffrey, said that the United States doesn’t have the authority to prevent any country from establishing relations with the Syrian regime, pointing out that senior Arab leaders confirm that they won’t take steps towards the regime unless a group of Arab and international concerns are addressed.
Jeffrey said that the most prominent of these concerns relate to resolving the crisis of Syrian refugees and displaced persons, reconciliation with areas not under the control of the regime, and the removal of Iranian strategic weapons from the country.
Jeffrey made it clear that Assad should better coordinate the fight against ISIS, and be held accountable for human rights crimes and the use of chemical weapons.
The former US envoy pointed out that these concerns completely coincide with the demands of the United States, considering that the conflict in Syria is still frozen and Assad is still isolated and punished, until those demands are conceded and implemented.
