US says patience not ‘unlimited’ in Syria

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON

The U.S. "patience is not unlimited" when it comes to efforts with Russia to put the political process back on track back in Syria, the State Department said Wednesday.

If a truce in Syria falls apart, it will lead to a “return to conflict and a return to a situation that ... we felt like we were making progress moving away from", agency spokesman Mark Toner said during a press briefing.

According to Toner, efforts by the International Syria Support Group's (ISSG) helped decrease violence and allow some humanitarian aid to be delivered in Syria. However, he added, those attempts are not enough to solve the problem.

"It hasn't been sustained and it hasn't been complete," he stressed.

Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday will visit Moscow where he will meet with senior Russian officials and discuss a range of issues, including Syria.

Some believe it may be the last attempt by the U.S to continue with its current plan in Syria.

A cessation of hostilities deal was signed in February to stop nationwide violence in Syria. But the agreement has been violated several times by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad with the killing hundreds of civilians and attacks on humanitarian facilities in Syria.

The cease-fire deal is also a precondition for the Syrian opposition to attend political talks in Geneva.

Kerry made several references to a "plan B" option for Syria during congressional testimony in March.

He said if the truce failed, the U.S. military would consider another campaign to support the Syrian opposition that would weaken Assad.

"This could get a lot uglier," he said at the time.

Toner said the U.S. was not yet at the stage of considering that alternative.

The White House has a stated goal to admit 10,000 Syrians into the U.S. as the crisis overseas has led to an overwhelming number of refugees in the region.

Toner said the U.S. has worked "diligently" to meet that goal within the 2016 fiscal year that ends September 30. "I think we're about halfway or more than halfway there as of July 8," he said.