US warns of imminent collapse of Syria’s interim government

The Trump administration will begin allowing US diplomats based in Turkey to work with local officials in Damascus to make determinations about what kind of aid they need, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday, before delivering a grim warning that the interim Syrian government was on the verge of collapse.

“We want to help that government succeed, because the alternative is full-scale civil war and chaos, which would, of course, destabilize the entire region,” Rubio told lawmakers.

Testifying in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said the US would begin allowing US diplomats based in Turkey to travel to the Syrian capital to discuss what was needed from the US. “Is it humanitarian? Is it improving law enforcement or governance functions? We think it’s going to be the first test of this new model,” Rubio said.