WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States should focus on defeating Daesh in Syria, before dealing with the regime of Bashar Assad, US Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said in an interview on Thursday.
"We need to defeat ISIS [Daesh]. That’s why I’m saying our first step has got to be to defeat ISIS," Johnson stated in an interview with CNN. "We eliminate that caliphate, we end the inspiration, at least the massive amounts of inspiration ISIS has had by existing, and we change the conditions on the ground in Syria."
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signaled his attitude toward Assad changed after a chemical weapon attack on civilians on Tuesday, and that he planned to take a more aggressive approach toward the regime.
The Syrian Army has denied using chemical weapons.