National security adviser Jake Sullivan responded to developments in the conflicts in the Middle East — including the Syrian army withdrawing troops from Aleppo — in multiple Sunday show appearances, as the Biden administration slowly comes to a close.
“Let me tell you one thing we weren’t surprised by. We were not surprised that these rebels would try to take advantage of a new situation, in which the Syrian government’s main backers, Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, were all distracted and weakened by conflicts and events elsewhere,” Sullivan said in an interview with Kasie Hunt on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Sullivan, whose tenure is reaching its end as the Biden administration prepares to hand off to President-elect Donald Trump, discussed the success of the rebel offensive in Syria, the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire and the lack of a cease-fire in Gaza in his multiple TV appearances.
Speaking of Syria on CNN, he added, “Now, the speed of this offensive I think very much surprised the Syrian government and other observers in the region. But the fact that we have seen activity in Syria coming off of all the other things we have seen in the Middle East and Ukraine and elsewhere, that is something that is the natural result of those adversaries ending up in a weaker strategic position.”
Sullivan noted that the rebel offensive is led by a U.S.-designated terrorist entity, and that his team was working to see U.N. Security Council resolutions that could bring peace and stability to Syria and protect its civilians. But in regards to whether the government of Bashar Al-Assad will fall, Sullivan declined to predict what would happen.
“As far as the fate of Bashar Al-Assad, people have been predicting that for a long time. I’m not going to make any predictions here,” Sullivan said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “All I’m going to say is that we will stay deeply engaged in the days ahead.”
Syria’s civil war began in 2011. Last week’s rebel advance was a surprise breakthrough but created new potential problems for the West.
Asked whether the developments in Aleppo advance American strategist interests, Sullivan said, “It’s a complicated question” that the U.S. is “monitoring closely” and communicating with regional partners about.
“The group at the vanguard of this rebel advance, HTS, is actually a terrorist organization designated by the United States. So we have real concerns about the designs and objectives of that organization,” Sullivan said in his CNN interview. “At the same time, of course, we don’t cry over the fact that the Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, are facing certain kinds of pressure. So it’s a complicated situation.”
Sullivan also discussed the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, calling it a “huge step forward in the Middle East.”
“This is a huge step forward in the Middle East, a ceasefire across the border between Israel and Lebanon, the end to more than a year of very significant violence on both sides of that border, the opportunity for people to ultimately be able to return to their homes in Israel and in Lebanon,” Sullivan said on NBC. “So this is a good thing, and we need to protect it and ensure that it is fully implemented.”
Sullivan added that this is different because the United States, France and other allies are involved to “ensure that the ceasefire is implemented effectively.” He said this would not mean American forces would be deployed, but rather that the U.S. will fully support the agreement that states that both parties have the right to self-defense.
“Our goal is to get through these first few days, critical days of a ceasefire, when it’s most fragile, have it take full hold, and then ultimately build on it so that it becomes the permanent ceasefire it’s intended to be,” Sullivan said.
On NBC, Sullivan also called his work with incoming national security adviser Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) transparent and said that the two have been “committed to ensuring a smooth transition.” Waltz credited Trump for the ceasefire, saying he brought everyone to the table. Sullivan did not agree with that assessment, and instead attributed the ceasefire to Israel effectively weakening Hezbollah by, among other things, killing its leadership.
“You’ve done a good thing when other people take credit for it. We’re proud of the work we’ve done on bringing the ceasefire about,” Sullivan said on NBC. “And it came about because of the relentless diplomacy directed by the current president of the United States, Joe Biden.”
As for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Sullivan said, “We’re not there yet,” but discussed a video Hamas released of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, the first video of him since being captured over 400 days ago.
Sullivan said his team has been in contact with Alexander’s family since the release of the video, which he called “a cruel reminder of Hamas’ brutality.
“We are engaged deeply with the key players in the region, and there is activity even today,” Sullivan said on NBC. “There will be further conversations and consultations, and our hope is that we can generate a ceasefire and hostage deal, but we’re not there yet.”
