The United States made the right decision to work with the current Syrian leader, Ahmed al Sharaa’s team to fight Daesh in the war-torn country, US Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper has said.
Cooper, the nominee to lead CENTCOM pending Senate approval, voiced strong support for continued cooperation with Syria’s new leadership, emphasising the strategic value of stability in the region.
“Security in Syria will translate into security for the United States,” Cooper told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
“I'm optimistic for the future... stability in Syria hinges upon the current leader [Ahmed al Sharaa] remaining in place, and that's very important for us.”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) is used by Washington to project military power in the Middle East and South Asia.
Cooper's comments follow a shift in US policy after months of deliberation by US President Donald Trump to lift sanctions on Syria last month.
Syria, under the Bashar al Assad regime, was expelled from the US financial system and sanctioned under the Caesar Act.
President Ahmed al Sharaa, a former leader of the anti-Assad group Hayat Tahrir al Sham, took power in December and promised reforms to integrate the country into the global system.
New Syrian leadership shifted dynamics in Damascus by using diplomacy and gained US support.
Trump announced his decision to elevate sanctions with backing from Türkiye and other regional countries during his visit to Saudi Arabia.
Trump and al Sharaa met in Riyadh last month.
Syria’s contribution to anti-Daesh ops
Cooper said the US has led the anti-Daesh mission since the beginning and will continue to do so.
“ISIS (Daesh) thrives in chaos,” he said.
“If the government of Syria, now seven months into their existence, can help suppress that ISIS (Daesh) threat, along with US forces in the region, that stability helps create our own security.”
Cooper also underlined that he believes that a diplomatic approach, coordinated with military efforts, is key to regional peace.
“Everything we do in Syria will be diplomatically led, and I think we're heading in a good direction in that regard,” he said.
US boots in Syria
The Pentagon has already begun reducing US troop numbers in Syria from 2,000 to fewer than 1,000, but Cooper underlined that the presence of American soldiers on the ground remains essential.
“I think, given the dynamic nature of what’s happening today, that assessment [of required US troops in Syria] in the future could look different than it does today, perhaps,” he said.
He also warned against making cuts to US forces in Syria without fully understanding the evolving landscape.
