White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US had successfully struck ISIS targets in Syria and that the question of who runs Syria today remains “open” after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend.
“They believe that, based on early indications, they have been very, very successful in striking legitimate ISIS targets and further degrading their capabilities,” he told CNN, adding that it was “not clear” whether those strikes would be continued this morning.
Kirby added that he “couldn’t speak” to any direct communications between the US and the rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which the US has designated a terrorist organization, but that they were communicating with counterparts in the region who could relay messages to all of the rebel groups.
“We’re going to, as the president said yesterday, explore opportunities to communicate with all of those groups,” he said.
Kirby also said that “it’s not about words, it’s about actions,” when asked how much they trust the HTS leader.
And when asked about who runs Syria this morning, Kirby said bluntly, “It’s an open question.”
“I think they’re trying to work it out among themselves, but it’s an open question. In fact, the fact that it’s an open question is a concern to us, as the president said, we’re in a period of uncertainty, and so we’re going to work through every process possible,” Kirby concluded.