WASHINGTON (AFP/ AP): US President Joe Biden is keeping a close eye on "extraordinary events" transpiring in Syria, the White House said late Saturday, after a war monitor reported that President Bashar Assad fled the country and rebels declared they have taken the capital.
"President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners," National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement on social media.
President-elect Donald Trump earlier stated that the US military should stay out of the escalating conflict in Syria as an opposition offensive closes in on the capital. In a social media post, he declared, "THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT."
Biden's national security adviser emphasized that there was no intention of intervening militarily.
"The United States is not going to ... militarily dive into the middle of a Syrian civil war," Jake Sullivan told an audience in California.
He mentioned that the US would continue actions necessary to prevent Daesh from exploiting openings presented by ongoing conflicts.
The insurgents' advance reached Damascus as government forces abandoned Homs, prompting denials from Assad's government about his rumored departure.
Trump's comments marked his first response since militants launched their advance last month while he was attending an event in Paris. He expressed that Assad did not deserve US support to remain in power.
Assad has been supported by Russian and Iranian military forces along with Hezbollah amidst a 13-year-old conflict against opposition groups seeking his overthrow. The war began as a peaceful uprising against Assad's rule but escalated into widespread violence involving multiple foreign entities.
The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, designated by the US as a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda despite claims of severed ties. They have encountered minimal resistance from Syrian or allied forces thus far.
"Assad's backers -- Iran, Russia and Hezbollah -- have all been weakened and distracted," Sullivan said at an annual gathering at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. "None of them are prepared to provide the kind of support to Assad that they provided in the past," he added later.
The US maintains approximately 900 troops working alongside Kurdish allies to prevent Daesh resurgence. Gen. Bryan Fenton noted it was too early to predict how current upheavals might impact US military presence but emphasized continued focus on disrupting Daesh operations and safeguarding American troops during remarks at a panel discussion held at Reagan event venue.