US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the US is changing course on Syria, and that the removal of Syrian President Bashar Assad is no longer a priority. Haley said she wants to work with countries such as Turkey and Russia to find a long-term political solution in Syria, rather than keep the focus on the Syrian president’s future. Just prior to Haley’s comments, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a joint press conference in Turkey with his counterpart there, Mevlut Cavusoglu, and signaled the change in direction for US diplomacy. Tillerson said “Assad’s long-term presence must be decided by the Syrian people”.
