US will fear the vacuum that could replace Assad

But some from the region in close contact with US officials see this approach as reductive, even cynical. They urge Washington to embrace a process of transition in Damascus taking account of the breadth of Syrian opposition.

Mouaz Moustafa from the Washington-based Syrian Emergency Task Force – which coordinates with the US military and partner forces in Syria – has described what is unfolding as an “indescribable good” that the Americans must not reduce to the actions of one faction.

“There is an operations room that has multiple factions of different political stripes – some are secular, some are conservative – but they agree on one thing. They are going to liberate Syria from al-Qaeda, Isis, Iran, Russia, and they will allow people to have their country back,” he told the BBC.

In his statement, President Biden said some of the groups in Syria were “saying the right things now” but he would judge them on their actions.

Meanwhile President-elect Trump has been posting about Syria, describing it as a “mess” that the US should stay out of. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” he said.

In his comments he points blame at Obama and says Russia should now wash its hands of the country, apparently using its “weakened state” as a reason Moscow and Kyiv should engage in a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.

“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act,” says Trump.

As president in 2019, Trump famously made a surprise announcement withdrawing US troops from Syria. His officials gradually rowed that back, fearing ceding control to Russia and a resurgence of the Islamic State group.

Trump may well have an eye to resuming his previous position.