Blinken makes unannounced visit to Iraq
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Photo: (Getty Images)
On Friday, December 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Iraq for an unannounced visit, Reuters reports.
According to the media, during the visit, Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to discuss the future of neighboring Syria. Blinken also visited the US Embassy in Baghdad and mentioned that he had spoken with Prime Minister Sudani about the situation in Syria.
They discussed "the conviction of so many countries in the region and beyond that, as Syria transitions from the Assad dictatorship to hopefully a democracy, it does so in a way that, of course, protects all of the minorities in Syria that produces an inclusive, non-sectarian government,” Blinken said.
Blinken emphasized that Syria must not become a “platform for terrorism.”
“No one knows the importance of that more than Iraq, because of the ongoing presence of ISIS or Daesh in Syria, and we are determined to make sure that Daesh cannot reemerge,” he stated.
Fall of Assad’s regime in Syria
Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. However, this month, rebels overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who had ruled for more than 20 years.
Read more about why Assad’s regime collapsed and what lies ahead for Syria in RBC-Ukraine's material.
Meanwhile, Syria's new government has called on Syrian refugees to return home.
Additionally, reports indicate that rebels today burned the tomb of Assad's father, the former president.
