US President Joe Biden said on Thursday the declaration of national emergency powers in dealing with Syria will continue for one year.
In a statement, the White House said that the emergency announced as a part of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, will go beyond its deadline, which is October 14, 2021.
“I transmit to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date,” Biden said.
He also accused Turkey of undermining efforts to combat ISIS.
“The situation in and in relation to Syria, and in particular the actions by the Government of Turkey to conduct a military offensive into northeast Syria, undermines the campaign to defeat ISIS, endangers civilians, and further threatens to undermine the peace, security, and stability in the region, and continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the US,” the president said.
However, the Biden administration did not clarify its plan to combat ISIS in eastern Syria, particularly amid mistrust in the US policy after Washington withdrew its forces from Afghanistan.
Biden’s decision to renew the emergency powers came following a meeting held last week between US officials and Syrian opposition leaders, who called on Washington not to consider Bashar Assad the legitimate ruler of the country.
They also hoped that the US continues the “Noes” policies with Damascus pending reaching a political solution in the country: No to normalization, no to lifting sanctions and no to funding the reconstruction.
In a related development, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that five Kurdish fighters were killed when Turkish soldiers responded to an attack launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria, leaving one Turkish soldier dead.
The minister said operations are ongoing and the number of neutralized “terrorists” might increase.
Also on Friday, Ilham Ahmed, president of the Executive Committee of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), said the US will remain in Syria to eliminate ISIS and build infrastructure, considering that Washington has made a clear commitment to the people of northeast Syria.
"They promised to do whatever it takes to destroy ISIS and work to build infrastructure in North Eastern Syria," Reuters quoted Ahmed as saying.
Ahmed spoke after meetings in Washington with representatives of the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon.
