WASHINGTON- The U.S. now is focused on helping to restabilize Raqqa after liberating 95 percent of the city from ISIS, ridding the area of mines, restoring security and working to “allow the voluntary safe return of Syrians to their homes,” State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said Thursday.
Providing urgent humanitarian needs to people who fled Raqqa during the fighting and supporting efforts to restore security and crucial infrastructures such as roads, schools and hospitals are the main priorities, according to Nauert.
The U.S. is also working with a group of local officials called the Raqqa Civil Council to help with stabilization efforts and supports the group’s endeavor to control “post liberation security,” she said.
When asked if the U.S. would back local groups with members who support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Nauert said the U.S. believes the next leaders of the local government “should embody and believe in fundamental human rights and protections of those civilians in the area.” Nauert echoed President Donald Trump’s stance that the people of Syria should determine the future of the country.
Although the State Department, Defense Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development have prepared for the liberation of Raqqa for over a year, she said, they expect stabilization to be a long process.
“Dealing with this area in Raqqa has been very different from dealing with the situation in Mosul,” Nauert said. “It’s going to take additional time.”