State Dept.: Syria Failure ‘Not on the Leadership of the U.S.’; It’s on Russia, Assad, Iran

EXCERPT:

KIRBY: "We are obviously not happy with where things are with Aleppo. I'm not trying to overstate that one way or another. It's clear that diplomatic efforts have not achieved the results that we wanted to achieve. That doesn't mean it's the wrong approach. It doesn't moon that through diplomacy we were able to get at times meaningful cessations of hostilities where people can start to live normal lives and things could at least get back to some sense of normalcy. The failure here is not on the leadership of the United States or even on members of the international community. The failure here is on Russia and the regime and on Iran that have, despite coming to the table and saying they want a peaceful solution in Syria and a diplomatic way forward have fact bolstered Assad's brutality. And have in fact reinforced his military, helped him with targeting, with intelligence, put advisers on the ground that have done nothing but try to prove what they really want is a military solution. The blood is on their hands. The United States, look, again, we are not content with where things are, but we still believe a diplomatic solution is the way forward. We still think that a political transition that gives the Syrian people voice is the real way forward for a sustainable peace."