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Source: http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN1712QL-OCATP
U.S. Priority in Syria No Longer Focused on Getting Assad Out
(Reuters) Michelle Nichols - U.S. policy on Syria is no longer focused on making President Assad leave power, U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said on Thursday. "You pick and choose your battles and when we're looking at this...our priority is no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out....Do we think he's a hindrance? Yes. Are we going to sit there and focus on getting him out? No....Our priority is to really look at how do we get things done, who do we need to work with to really make a difference for the people in Syria." On Wednesday, Haley accused Russia, Iran and the "Assad regime" of committing war crimes. She has also said the U.S. supports the UN-led Syria peace talks, that Syria could no longer be a "safe haven for terrorists," and that it was important "we get Iran and their proxies out." A senior Trump administration official said Haley's remarks reflected "a measure of just realism, accepting the facts on the ground....Assad is never going to have sufficient force to reassert control over the whole country....Our focus is on defeating ISIS and al-Qaeda and preventing Syria from being used as a terrorist safe haven."