24-11-2024 03:39 PM Jerusalem Timing

Kerry Says Syria Becomes “Huge Sectarian Mess”

Kerry Says Syria Becomes “Huge Sectarian Mess”

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the situation in Syria has become ‘huge sectarian mess’ with foreign-backed opposition factions have been fighting each others.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the situation in Syria has become ‘huge sectarian mess’ with foreign-backed opposition factions have been fighting each others.John Kerry

Talking to ABC's "This Week,” Kerry said: “No one really wants to go to war in Syria because it's a huge sectarian, you know, mess, with all kinds of implications.”

So you have to work with the tools that you have that are permissible. And that's exactly what we're doing, trying to make the most of the diplomatic tools available in order to be able to have an impact," he said.

Kerry acknowledged that in-fighting among the Syrian opposition had left a void that is being filled by extremists and that entire sections of Syria are now safe havens for al-Qaeda.

"Yes, it's absolutely true. Al-Qaeda has greater clout there than it had before and it's an increasing threat. And it's a threat we're going to have to confront," he said.

But he added that the US Congress was reluctant to significantly fund what he called ‘moderate’ opposition, and Americans “do not want to get involved in another war.”

The infighting exploded into full view earlier this month when an extremist opposition faction, the so-called “Islamic Front,” seized a border crossing and a weapons warehouse from the Free Syrian Army near the Turkish border last week.

The United States responded by suspending its non-lethal aid to the opposition while it assessed the situation.
Kerry said he thought the aid to ‘moderate’ opposition could be resumed "very quickly."

"But I think people want to be careful, have the meetings that we need tohave and make certain we can proceed forward thoughtfully. Nobody wants to just build a warehouse up again and have it taken over again," he said.
"But look, this is complicated," he said. "This isn't easy."