WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2021) A visit by several senior US officials to northeastern Syria on Sunday gives a good sign of Washington's commitment to the stabilization of the region, Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) Representative in the United States and member of the Presidential Committee, Bassam Saker, told Sputnik.
"This delegation shows some good sign," Saker said. "It is a good sign for stabilization. The visit in general was to support continuous stabilization of northern Syria."
On May 16, several senior US officials and diplomats visited northeast Syria, where they met the Syrian Democratic Forces, the SDC and other coalition counterparts, the State Department said on Monday.
Saker said the visit concerned humanitarian support for the region and defeating the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia).
"You know, because to defeat the ISIS [IS], it's not enough to defeat them militarily," Saker said. "It should be defeated ideologically. In this case, you need some help to the area. We need humanitarian aid, including for infrastructure, everything for the people, for changes in the area. I believe it is one of the very important topics they discussed."
Saker also shared that there has been no change in cooperation with Washington after Joe Biden became US president.
"We are still cooperating. We are here as representatives to the United States," he said. "We continue our cooperation, we meet with State Department, we meet with Senate, the US House of Representatives. It is usual cooperation and the same as it was before."
Saker, however, also said more cooperation is needed.
"We need more but we are waiting," he added.
The State Department said in Sunday's meetings, the US stressed Washington's multinational drive to reopen cross-border points of entry for humanitarian assistance without Damascus' approval.
Rear Adm. Alexander Karpov, the deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said earlier in May that the US-led coalition has intensified airborne shipments of military cargo and movement of military equipment by land in eastern Syria.
Saker continue by saying that the United States should maintain its military presence in Syria until the Islamic State is fully eliminated, including its sleeper cells.
"I believe so. They [the US forces] should stay there until we completely defeat the ISIS [IS] and they should stay until we find a solution for Syria and we [SDC] are part of the Geneva talks or Resolution 2254," he said.
Saker said IS continues to pose a significant threat.
"There are sleeping cells. We still have ISIS [IS] there," Saker said.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, operating in the north of Syria, have played an active role in fighting IS and have placed thousands of captured militants and members of their families in prisons and camps.
The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been carrying out airstrikes and other operations against the Islamic State in Iraq since August 2014 and in Syria since September 2014. However, the coalition has acted in Syria without the approval of the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.
