State Dept: We Have a ‘Long Term Strategy’ for the Middle East
RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
SULLIVAN: "Listen, most people in the world are probably the same, they want to get up, go to a John, put food on the table and cover and protection for their family. What are we doing to solve the problem in the Middle East long-term? Seems like things are as bad or worse than they were ten years ago. Any economy besides oil and guns. How do we solve this problem long term by helping them create an infrastructure where they can lead relatively Normal lives rather than being forced into extremist schools and camps because they have no other way to put food on the table. Is there any long-term planning?"
KIRBY: "No, I think there is a long-term strategy. The secretary has been working on this very, very hard through personal diplomacy and engagement. He has been to the region probably more than any other part of the world he’s traveled. We’re going to keep doing that. Take Syria for example. There’s a problem in — problems in Syria are really twofold. You have ISIL, which still has sanctuary there in Syria, still killing people. And then you have bashar Al Assad in Damascus also killing Syrian people and rendering his country even in worse condition. What we’re doing is, on two fronts, we have a coalition going after ISIL on nine different lines of effort. One is military. And then the secretary has been personally shepherding through a diplomatic process to try to get a political transition in Syria to a government away from Assad. Syria right now is very much the center of the focus on the Middle East. It doesn’t mean it’s the only place where there are problems. Obviously, we know there are elsewhere. Believes through a combination of military pressure and diplomatic pressure with the international community to get a political transition in that country to a government that can be responsive to people, the Syrian refugees can go back home and there will be no breathing space for ISIL."
JANSING: "Good so see you, thanks so much."
