Pentagon warns Assad against attacking US forces and its allies in Syria
Attacking the forces of the Americans and their allies in Syria would be a “bad idea,” said Kenneth McKenzie, a representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces. He made this statement in response to the words of President Bashar Assad, who expressed readiness to use force to liberate Syrian territory.
Armed clashes have taken place between the US-led coalition and pro-government units, but in general, the two sides have managed to avoid major clashes, RIA Novosti notes. In the north and east of the country, a significant amount of territory is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which mainly consists of Kurds that are supported by the U.S.
According to Assad, the SDF remains “the only problem in the country.” He noted that Damascus is ready to negotiate with them, but in the event that the negotiations fail to yield results, the Syrian army may “use force to liberate its own territory.” Assad also stressed that the United States must leave Syria.
Assad also said that in Syria “we came close to a possible direct conflict between the forces of Russia and the United States,” but it was avoided “because of the wisdom of the Russian leadership.”