Rebel groups

Sullivan says US will work with "all groups in Syria," including rebel groups

From CNN's Sam Fossum

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the major Syrian rebel groups, including those who have been designated by the US as terrorist organizations, are saying “all the right things” amid uncertainty over what comes next following the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“We’re going to work with all the groups in Syria, and as President Biden said yesterday, the rebel groups, including the ones that have been designated as terrorist groups, have actually said all the right things. Now the question is, what will they do to try to bring about a better Syria,” Sullivan said on CBS Mornings.

Sullivan added on ABC’s Good Morning America that it was “good that he is gone,” referring to former Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, and the collapse of the Assad regime creates “risk and uncertainty about what comes next.”

“There’s an opportunity to build something better in Syria, but there is concern that terrorists, jihadists and other people who do not have the United States best interests at heart, to say the least, could take advantage of this … We’re prepared to work with anyone in Syria who wants a stable, inclusive democratic future for that country,” he said.

Sullivan’s comments come after US President Joe Biden weighed in publicly Sunday saying that the extraordinary fall of the Assad regime is both a “moment of risk” and “historic opportunity” for the country.