WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States may utilize a military approach to deal with President Bashar Assad of Syria as he has not been willing to negotiate in good faith, US Secretary of State John Kerry stated at a press conference conference with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.
“Military pressure particularly may be necessary, given President Assad’s unwillingness to negotiate seriously,” Kerry said on Thursday.
Kerry explained that a combination of pressure and diplomacy will be needed to bring about a political transition in Syria.
The US State Department has long asserted that Assad has lost his legitimacy as president and cannot be part of a future government in Syria.
The United States and its allies agreed to train and equip Syrian opposition fighters as part of their efforts to fight the Islamic State (IS).
Moreover, the US State Department said that the US-equipped and trained moderate Syrian opposition may also fight the Syrian military.
A civil war broke out in Syria in 2011 in which the Syrian army has battled several rebel and opposition groups as well as foreign fighters. More than 200,000 people have been killed during the ongoing civil war in Syria, according to UN estimates.
