Syria transition should not cause collapse of the state: U.S.

Transition must allow for preservation of the key institutions of government: John Kirby

Emphasizing a gradual refinement of its position on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that commentators have taken note of in recent weeks, the United States said it would not push for a transition that might cause the collapse of the state.

“What we want to see is a transition that allows for the preservation of the key institutions of government so that there isn’t a collapse…..You don’t want such a precipitous fall that you cannot provide basic functions of government for the Syrian people,” State Department spokesperson John Kirby said.

Finding common ground with Russia?

Though Mr. Kirby denied any change in the U.S position -- he in fact offered to pull out statements by Secretary of State John Kerry from 18 months ago to prove that the “U.S has never been fixated on a date for Assad’s departure” -- the emphasis on preserving the integrity of the Syrian state marks an attempt to find common ground with Russia.

A multilateral mechanism on political transition in Syria is expected to kick off by January-end. The U.S has so far maintained that the role of Mr. Assad in the transition process remained a matter of disagreement among the members of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG).

“…as we work through the -- a transition, one of the things that we want to make sure is that key functions of the government can continue -- obviously, under solid, responsive, responsible leadership, ….some institutions need to be preserved so that there isn’t a collapse. I think, certainly, we share concerns by others in the international community that you don’t want a vacuum,” Mr. Kirby said.

Cites ‘lessons from the recent past’

Mr. Kirby even cited “lessons learnt from the recent past” – a possible reference to the dismantling of the Baathist army in Iraq – to underscore his point, also naming the Syrian army a source of security in the country.

Though U.S diplomacy has not met with much success in the last two days in mending the frayed relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, two key players in the ISSG, Mr. Kirby hoped the transition process would proceed as planned. “We haven’t seen any indication that the process will be affected by the recent tensions. I think the Saudis have even said that they believe it’s important for it to move forward,” he said.