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State Department to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Look Forward to Riyadh Summits Outcomes, Committed to Release of Hostages

US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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State Department to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Look Forward to Riyadh Summits Outcomes, Committed to Release of Hostages

US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

As Israel intensified its strikes on hospitals and schools in Gaza, a US official justified his country’s use of the veto power against a resolution to stop the war. The official said the United Nations resolution did not stipulate Israel’s right to self-defense against attacks by Hamas. He stressed that his country will work towards including these points in any UN resolutions in the future.

US Department of State regional spokesman Samuel Warburg told Asharq Al-Awsat that his country supports efforts aimed at bolstering peace and stability and was working with all concerned parties to achieve these goals and boost opportunities for cooperation and constructive understanding.

On the meetings of the ministerial committee that was formed at the Arab and Islamic summits in Riyadh, he said his country was keen on the outcomes of these summits to achieve joint goals such as ending the current conflict and establishing the two-state solution.

On the hostages, Warburg said his country was committed to securing their release unconditionally and safely. “We are working with our partners in the region to help towards this goal. We appreciate their help in facilitating dialogue and negotiations to ensure their release,” he added.

The US, meanwhile, is maintaining its support to humanitarian efforts in Gaza, including facilitating the delivery of aid.

*Given the unlimited American support to Israel, what are the chances of cooperation between the US and its regional partners being consolidated?

The United States underscores the right of any nation, including Israel, to defend itself and its people in line with international law. At the same time, we stress the importance of adhering to international regulations and commitments related to protecting civilians.

Let us not forget that Hamas is a terrorist movement. It launched violent terrorist attacks against civilians on October 7. It therefore is responsible for this destruction and harm done to innocent civilians. Hamas doesn’t care for the lives of civilians. It has long used Gaza’s civilian residents as human shields.

The United States enjoys strong and solid relations with its allies in the Middle East and North Africa region. We are working together on several important files, including fighting terrorism and bolstering regional security and stability and supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts. Cooperation also ensures the exchange of expertise and joint training and cooperation in fields, such as economic development and environmental challenges.

It is through these partnerships that we are seeking to build a more secure and stable region that offers development opportunities and prosperity to its people. These are integral parts of our efforts to achieve long-term stability and peace. We believe these partnerships will continue and develop further.

*What justification does the US have in using its veto power against a UN resolution on ending the war in Gaza?

The use of the veto stems from the basis of supporting specific elements related to the possibility of delivering humanitarian aid to civilians. As our ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, we would have preferred if the draft resolutions would have spoken about Israel’s right to self-defense and condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas. We will seek that these two elements are included in any future resolutions.

The US is not waiting for the UN Security Council to take action. Since the eruption of the conflict, President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken led international efforts in support of calls to step up the pace of providing aid to civilians in Gaza. Indeed, several aid convoys have entered Gaza, but this is not enough. We will continue to increase the pressure to expand this operation as soon as possible.

The US will also continue to press for the release of the hostages unconditionally and safely. We will continue to work closely with members of the Security Council to find a way that enables the council to stress the need to protect civilians, bolster humanitarian support, condemn Hamas’ terrorist acts and underscore the right of each nation to defend itself against terrorism.

*Israel continues to destroy hospitals and schools in Gaza and to barbarically kill civilians. What guarantees are there that the war won’t expand and spill over into the region?

The US remains committed towards working on preventing the expansion of the conflict and stoking more tensions in the region. We are well aware of the dangerous impact the attacks are having on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, and the loss of civilian lives. We stress the importance of committing to international humanitarian law and protecting civilians. But we must remember one basic point here, and that is that Hamas is a terrorist movement and it is using civilian areas as safe havens. It is hiding there and perhaps endangering the lives of civilians. This underscores its disregard for the lives of civilians.

From our end, we are stressing to international and regional partners the importance of avoiding any move that could lead to an escalation of the conflict and its spillover. We urge any country or side to refrain from exploiting the situation to achieve political or military gain and to think twice before making a move.

The United States’ main goal is supporting peace efforts and achieving stability in the region. We are working towards facilitating dialogue and searching for diplomatic solutions that guarantee the security and safety of all peoples in the region.

*Some observers believe that the double standards in which the US is dealing with Israel’s war on Gaza is feeding terrorism and encouraging the militias to expand the war. What do you say to this?

American foreign policy is based on bolstering security and peace. It seeks a balanced approach in how it deals with international crises. We are working with our international and regional partners to encourage diplomatic solutions and reduce the tensions in the region. We are concerned with stability and peace and we are maintaining our efforts to confront terrorism and back lasting solutions that would benefit all concerned parties.

*What is the US position on the outcomes of the expected ministerial meeting that was planned by the Arab and Islamic summits?

The US is looking forward to these summits. We realize that we share several joint goals with countries in the region, including ending the current conflict and reaching a two-state solution, which equally affords all Palestinians and Israelis dignity, prosperity and freedom. The US is prepared to work with all concerned parties to achieve these goals and bolster opportunities for cooperation through dialogue and diplomacy.

*To what extent will the Israeli violations against civilians in Gaza impede the policy of normalization with other countries in the region?

We can’t speak on behalf of the Israeli government, but when it comes to our policy, our current diplomatic efforts are focusing on the current crisis. At the same time, the US remains committed to the long-term goal which is achieving a more stable and prosperous Middle East through bolstering the normalization process and making progress in the two-state solution.

*What are the latest developments related to the US measures on the situation in Gaza and the release of hostages?

We are committed to securing the unconditional and safe release of the hostages. As Secretary Blinken said, we are working with partners in the region towards that end. We appreciate the help these countries are providing in terms of facilitating dialogue and negotiations to release the hostages. In addition, the US continues to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza, including facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid. We stress the importance of providing the constant and sustainable necessary support to all civilians.

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Interviews

Goldrich to Asharq Al-Awsat: No US Withdrawal from Syria

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich during the interview with Asharq Al-Awsat
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich during the interview with Asharq Al-Awsat
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Goldrich to Asharq Al-Awsat: No US Withdrawal from Syria

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich during the interview with Asharq Al-Awsat
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich during the interview with Asharq Al-Awsat

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich has told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US does not plan to withdraw its forces from Syria.

The US is committed to “the partnership that we have with the local forces that we work with,” he said.

Here is the full text of the interview.

Question: Mr. Goldrich, thank you so much for taking the time to sit with us today. I know you are leaving your post soon. How do you assess the accomplishments and challenges remaining?

Answer: Thank you very much for the chance to talk with you today. I've been in this position for three years, and so at the end of three years, I can see that there's a lot that we accomplished and a lot that we have left to do. But at the beginning of a time I was here, we had just completed a review of our Syria policy, and we saw that we needed to focus on reducing suffering for the people in Syria. We needed to reduce violence. We needed to hold the regime accountable for things that are done and most importantly, from the US perspective, we needed to keep ISIS from reemerging as a threat to our country and to other countries. At the same time, we also realized that there wouldn't be a solution to the crisis until there was a political process under resolution 2254, so in each of these areas, we've seen both progress and challenges, but of course, on ISIS, we have prevented the reemergence of the threat from northeast Syria, and we've helped deal with people that needed to be repatriated out of the prisons, and we dealt with displaced people in al-Hol to reduce the numbers there. We helped provide for stabilization in those parts of Syria.

Question: I want to talk a little bit about the ISIS situation now that the US troops are still there, do you envision a timeline where they will be withdrawn? Because there were some reports in the press that there is a plan from the Biden administration to withdraw.

Answer: Yeah. So right now, our focus is on the mission that we have there to keep ISIS from reemerging. So I know there have been reports, but I want to make clear that we remain committed to the role that we play in that part of Syria, to the partnership that we have with the local forces that we work with, and to the need to prevent that threat from reemerging.

Question: So you can assure people who are saying that you might withdraw, that you are remaining for the time being?

Answer: Yes, and that we remain committed to this mission which needs to continue to be pursued.

Question: You also mentioned the importance of humanitarian aid. The US has been leading on this. Are you satisfied with where you are today on the humanitarian front in Syria?

Answer: We remain committed to the role that we play to provide for humanitarian assistance in Syria. Of the money that was pledged in Brussels, we pledged $593 million just this past spring, and we overall, since the beginning of the conflict, have provided $18 billion both to help the Syrians who are inside of Syria and to help the refugees who are in surrounding countries. And so we remain committed to providing that assistance, and we remain keenly aware that 90% of Syrians are living in poverty right now, and that there's been suffering there. We're doing everything we can to reduce the suffering, but I think where we would really like to be is where there's a larger solution to the whole crisis, so Syrian people someday will be able to provide again for themselves and not need this assistance.

Question: And that's a perfect key to my next question. Solution in Syria. you are aware that the countries in the region are opening up to Assad again, and you also have the EU signaling overture to the Syrian regime and Assad. How do you deal with that?

Answer: For the United States, our policy continues to be that we will not normalize with the regime in Syria until there's been authentic and enduring progress on the goals of resolution 2254, until the human rights of the Syrian people are respected and until they have the civil and human rights that they deserve. We know other countries have engaged with the regime. When those engagements happen, we don't support them, but we remind the countries that are engaged that they should be using their engagements to push forward on the shared international goals under 2254, and that whatever it is that they're doing should be for the sake of improving the situation of the Syrian people.

Question: Let's say that all of the countries decided to talk to Assad, aren’t you worried that the US will be alienated in the process?

Answer: The US will remain true to our own principles and our own policies and our own laws, and the path for the regime in Syria to change its relationship with us is very clear, if they change the behaviors that led to the laws that we have and to the policies that we have, if those behaviors change and the circumstances inside of Syria change, then it's possible to have a different kind of relationship, but that's where it has to start.

Question: My last question to you before you leave, if you have to pick one thing that you need to do in Syria today, what is it that you would like to see happening today?

Answer: So there are a number of things, I think that will always be left and that there are things that we will try to do, to try to make them happen. We want to hold people accountable in Syria for things that have happened. So even today, we observed something called the International Day for victims of enforced disappearances, there are people that are missing, and we're trying to draw attention to the need to account for the missing people. So our step today was to sanction a number of officials who were responsible for enforced disappearances, but we also created something called the independent institution for missing persons, and that helps the families, in the non-political way, get information on what's happened. So I'd like to see some peace for the families of the missing people. I'd like to see the beginning of a political process, there hasn't been a meeting of the constitutional committee in two years, and I think that's because the regime has not been cooperating in political process steps. So we need to change that situation. And I would, of course, like it's important to see the continuation of the things that we were talking about, so keeping ISIS from reemerging and maintaining assistance as necessary in the humanitarian sphere. So all these things, some of them are ongoing, and some of them remain to be achieved. But the Syrian people deserve all aspects of our policy to be fulfilled and for them to be able to return to a normal life.