US ready for military solution against IS in Syria

(Baonghean.vn) - US Vice President Joe Biden said on January 23 that the US and Türkiye are ready for a military solution against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization in Syria if a political settlement cannot be reached, amid uncertainty about the timing of peace talks.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (right) speaks during a joint press conference with US Vice President Joe Biden in Istanbul, Türkiye on January 23. Photo: Reuters.

The latest round of peace talks on Syria is scheduled to begin on January 25 in Geneva but is at risk of being delayed, partly due to a dispute over opposition representation.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Mr. Biden affirmed: "We know it would be better if we could reach a political solution, but we are ready to have a military solution to the campaign to destroy IS if that is not feasible."

A US official explained that Mr. Biden was referring to a military solution specifically for IS, not for Syria as a whole.

The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition has refused to accept indirect talks unless Damascus takes steps including halting Russian air strikes.

US Vice President Biden said he and Mr Davutoglu also discussed how the two NATO allies could provide more support to Sunni Arab rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

Disagreement over Kurdish group in Syria

Saleh Muslim, co-chairman of the Kurdistan Democratic Union Party (PYD), the main political organization of the Kurds in Syria, affirmed on January 22 that the Syrian peace talks will fail without the presence of the Kurdish part in Syria.

While the US drew a distinction between the PYD, which it supports, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Türkiye, Mr. Davutoglu reiterated Türkiye's stance that the PYD's military wing is a part of the PKK's support.

The PYD’s military wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), has retaken parts of Syria from IS with the help of US-led airstrikes and declared itself an autonomous government, causing headaches for Ankara. On January 23, Mr Davutoglu said the YPG had become a growing threat to Türkiye.

For decades, Ankara has been battling an insurgency by Kurdish separatists of the PKK, which last July sparked a violent confrontation with Turkish security forces.

Biden has been a fierce critic of the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Türkiye. “IS is not the only threat that exists… The PKK is no less of a threat and we recognize that,” Biden said. “The PKK has shown no desire or inclination to live peacefully. They are simply a terrorist organization, and what they continue to do is absolutely inhumane.”

Thu Giang

(According to Reuters)