Syria does not deserve Arab League return: US State Dept spox

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Washington believes that Syria is not worthy of a return to the Arab League, a US State Department spokesperson told Rudaw on Friday, as Syria's president attends his first regional summit 12 years after being suspended over his government's brutal crackdown on protesters that led to civil war.

All eyes are on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he attends the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah, following a thaw in relations, initiated by Riyadh, between the war-torn country and other states in the region.

Hala Gharit, regional spokesperson for the US State Department, told Rudaw prior to the summit's kickoff that Washington's policy towards Syria remains unchanged and they do not support normalization of ties with Assad's regime.

"The US is against any form of normalization, and we still support the people of Syria. Our policy is clear that such normalization is not the solution," said Gharit. "We believe that Syria does not deserve a return to the Arab League at the moment."

Arab nations welcoming Syria back into the fold is not a "victory" because the Syrian people still struggle with humanitarian, political, and economic crises, Gharit added.

"This is the same regime that used chemical weapons against its people. This is the same regime that steals humanitarian aid from its people. This is why our policy remains unchanged," she said, noting, however, that Washington still shares strong relations with and will continue to support their allies in the Middle East despite their overtures to Assad.

In addition to Arab leaders, Friday's summit will also be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his first visit to the Middle East since the start of Russia's invasion of the country in February 2022. He is expected to deliver a speech at the event.

Russia's Vladimir Putin has been Assad's strongest ally throughout the Syrian civil war.

Arab states last week voted to reinstate Syria's membership in the Arab League after suspending it in March 2011 following the outbreak of the Syrian conflict. The decision was the result of a general consensus among the member states.

Arab nations broke off relations with Syria over Damascus' crackdown on protests that grew into a civil war in 2011. Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia in particular, supported the rebels while Riyadh's regional rival, Iran, backed Assad.

February's disastrous earthquake, which rocked both Syria and Turkey killing tens of thousands, was a catalyst for Saudi-led efforts to normalize relations with Assad.

Syria does not deserve Arab League return: US State Dept spox

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