You're reading: RFE/RL: Assad raises possibility of conflict with US forces, allies in Syria

RFE/RL: Assad raises possibility of conflict with US forces, allies in Syria

Published June 1, 2018 at 12:12 pm

A handout picture released by the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency on May 31, 2018, shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) giving an interview to a journalist from Russia Today in the capital DamascusAssad has warned US-backed Kurdish forces he would not hesitate to use force to retake the third of the country they control."The only problem left in Syria is the SDF," Assad told Russia Today in an interview aired Thursday, referring to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces which has spearheaded battles against Islamic State group (IS) jihadists.

Photo by AFP

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has raised the possibility of conflict between his army and U.S. forces in Syria if they do not withdraw from the country soon — prompting a warning from the Pentagon.

In an interview with Russia’s RT television on May 31, Assad asserted that he is willing to negotiate with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that are allied with and embedded with U.S. forces and currently hold about one-quarter of Syria’s territory.