BBC News: G7 Seeks United Front on Assad, Russia and Syria War

G7 leaders want to unite around a strategy for ending civil war in Syria while convincing Russia to abandon support for President Bashar al-Assad. “Allies will also be seeking clarity from the US on its Syria policy, after some apparently mixed messages,” notes a BBC report. US officials continue to offer divided assessments on Assad’s future, even after air strikes on an air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on civilians. Prior to the most recent chemical attack, US policy had focused on eliminating the Islamic State. The US and Russia had reached an agreement to remove chemical weapons from Syria after a 2013 chemical attack. Syria denies the use of chemical weapons and the Russia insists the US lacks evidence that Syria used the weapons once again. Russia and Iran support the Assad regime and promise retaliation if the United States continues attacks against Assad’s forces. Other G7 parties – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK along with the EU – expect to understand the US strategy for Syria before applying sanctions or other pressure on Russia. The US secretary of state, traveling to Moscow after the G7 meeting, is expected to deliver the G7 message. – YaleGlobal