Obama: Deploying US Ground Forces Against Assad Would Be a 'Mistake'

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, said on Sunday, April 24, that he believes 'the deployment of ground forces by the United States and Britain to overthrow the Assad regime would be a mistake.' Mr. Obama made this statement in an interview with the BBC World Service and added that the international community should pressure the parties involved in the Syrian conflict, including Russia and Iran, as well as moderate opposition forces, to negotiate for a transitional period. During the five years of civil war in Syria, at least 250,000 people have died, and millions have been displaced. The Syrian ceasefire, which began last month, does not include the Islamic State and the al-Nusra Front, and attacks against them continue. However, the opposition present in the Syrian negotiations claims that Assad's forces are targeting them under the pretext of attacking 'terrorists.' Barack Obama, who is visiting Britain, described the situation in Syria and the events occurring there as 'tragic and complex' and added that he does not believe there is a simple solution to exit this situation. The US President, however, also mentioned that sitting at a table and negotiating on the matter is 'difficult.' According to the BBC, Obama further criticized countries whose parliaments have opposed military operations in Syria but are calling for US action in this regard. He criticized the mindset that believes it can prevent problems from spilling over into the country by isolating itself within its borders, stating that we are very 'weak' without cooperation and collaboration and cannot solve problems alone. Barack Obama added that he does not believe the Islamic State (ISIS) will be defeated in the remaining nine months of his presidency. However, he stated that 'we will gradually limit the areas and territories under ISIS control.' As he mentioned, the US-led coalition forces continue operations against ISIS in areas like Raqqa and are trying to isolate and control these areas, which are routes for sending ISIS fighters to Europe. These statements from the US President come after the US military recently used a B-52 strategic bomber for the first time to attack ISIS positions in Iraq. Shortly before that, US defense officials announced on Monday, April 18, that the United States would send over 200 additional personnel and, for the first time, Apache helicopters to fight the group known as 'ISIS' in Iraq. This is the largest increase in US forces in Iraq in the past year. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, has seized vast areas of land in Syria and Iraq in recent years, and affiliated groups have also taken control of regions in countries like Nigeria and Libya. Barack Obama stated on June 8 of last year that although it would take time, the Islamic State would ultimately be completely defeated and driven out of Iraq.