State Department officials protest White House policy on Syria

Dozens of US State Department officials have signed an internal memo protesting against the White House’s policy on Syria and called for military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad, reports the BBC.

A State Department official confirmed to the BBC that it has received the memo, reportedly signed by “51 mid-to-high level officials”, but declined to comment on its contents.

An anonymous official however said that it was sent "because the status quo is not sustainable".

Robert Ford, a former US ambassador to Syria who stepped down 2014 due to perceived inaction on Syria told the BBC that the memo was "indictment of the policy from the people who are trying to implement it".

"What they're saying is we cannot achieve our objectives" for a sustainable ceasefire or a negotiated peace deal, he said. "People are very frustrated with the barrel bombs in Aleppo, the targeting of hospitals, the flow of refugees."

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