http://www.politico.com/blogs/politico-live/?hp= By TARINI PARTI |
9/21/14 10:20 AM EDT
The United States will not act alone if President Barack Obama moves forward with authorizing airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power predicted on Sunday.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Power said: “I will make you prediction, George, which is that we will not do the airstrikes alone, if the president decides to do the airstrikes.”
“We have not carried out airstrikes in Syria. And it will be up to each country to announce for itself whether it’s prepared to participate whether in a combat role or to provide military equipment,” she said.
Power also clarified that while Secretary of State John Kerry said every country, including Iran, has a role to play in the fight against ISIL, the United States is not “coordinating” with Iran.
“Let me be clear, we are not coordinating with Iran,” she said. “We are not sharing intelligence with Iran. Iran has said that ISIL is its enemy, but by the same token Iran has supported Hezbollah and the Assad regime, a Assad regime that has not targeted ISIL with any sincerity or intensity over the years and indeed has been complicit receiving oil revenue from ISIL or buying oil from ISIL when they take over the fields.”
“So, [Syrian President Bashar] Assad is not a reliable partner in the fight against ISIL for us," Power said. "And we would urge Iran actually to use its leverage over that regime in order to change its tactics and bring about the political solution we need to really get at one of the root causes of this crisis.”
