(Reuters) — United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Sunday (April 9) peace in Syria would not be possible if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remained in power.
“In no way do we look at peace happening in that area with Iranian influence. In no way do we see peace in that area with Russia covering up for Assad. In no way do we see peace in that area with Assad as the head of the Syrian government,” Haley said on NBC’s “Meet the Press”.
On being asked what the Trump’s administration’s priority was in Syria, Haley said the United States had “multiple priorities” that included defeating Islamic State.
“It’s also to get out the Iranian influence which we think is causing so much friction and worse issues in the area. And then we’ve got to go and make sure that we actually see a leader that will protect his people and clearly Assad is not that person.”
The comments represented a departure from what Haley had said before the United States hit a Syrian air base with 59 Tomahawk missiles on Thursday (April 6) in retaliation for what it said was a chemical weapons attack by Assad’s forces on Syrian civilians.
President Donald Trump ordered the missile strike after watching television images of infants suffering from chemical weapons injuries.
“You pick and choose your battles and when we’re looking at this, it’s about changing up priorities and our priority is no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out,” Haley had told reporters on March 30, just days before dozens of Syrian civilians died from chemical weapons injuries.
The Syrian air base targeted in the U.S. missile attack on Thursday has resumed operations. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham cautioned Assad against defying the White House.
“Here’s what I think Assad is telling Trump by flying from this base – F-U,” South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said on “Meet the Press”. “If you’re an adversary of the United States and you don’t worry about what Trump may do on any given day, then you’re crazy.”
Syrian forces launched further airstrikes on Saturday (April 8) that killed 18 people including five children in rebel-controlled Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the civil defense rescue service reported