Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday that he believes President-elect Trump will not intervene in Syria.
“Donald Trump has always been consistent in saying he doesn't want to get into war, so I think we should just take him at his word on that,” Esper told CNN's “State of the Union.” told broadcaster Jake Tapper.
Early Sunday morning, the Syrian government collapsed after rebel forces entered the capital, Damascus. The collapse of the government ended the 50-year rule of the Assad family in Syria.
The end of Assad's regime came after a 10-day offensive by rebel forces. Meanwhile, fighters moved quickly across Syria, occupying much of the government-held land.
On Saturday, President Trump addressed what is happening in Syria, saying the country is “in turmoil, but the United States should not be involved in it because it is not our friend.” This is not our fight. Let's play. Don't get caught! ”
President Trump also criticized the actions of Syrian rebels who tried to seize the Syrian capital on Saturday, saying, “Russia has strong ties to Ukraine and has lost more than 600,000 soldiers there, so Russia is There seems to be nothing we can do to stop this literal march through.” This is the country they have defended for years. ”
“That being said, we have a lot of interest in this region, in Syria. As I said, what does this mean for Russia and its foothold in the Middle East?” Esper He said this in the “State of the Union.”
“What about Iran?” he added. “Of course, in the north we have our NATO ally Turkey. Our Kurdish partners have been and continue to have friction with the Turks. Our Arab partner Jordan, which borders Syria, and Saudi Arabia, which is of great interest to the United States.”
The Hill has reached out to Trump's transition team for comment.
