The United States will continue to maintain its presence in eastern Syria and take the necessary measures to prevent the resurgence of the terrorist “Islamic State.”
This was stated on Sunday by Daniel Shapiro, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Affairs. Shapiro spoke a few hours after Syrian rebels announced the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on the morning of December 8.
Shapiro called on all parties to protect civilians, especially minorities, and to respect international norms.
The Assad regime viewed American troops stationed in Syria to fight ISIS as occupiers. Currently, there are about 900 U.S. military personnel in the country, primarily in the northeast.
On the morning of December 8, rebel forces in Damascus declared the capital “free” from the longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. They stated that government institutions would remain under the supervision of the former prime minister until power was officially transferred.
Reports indicate that Assad left Damascus by plane in an unknown direction.
