US urged to hold Assad to account as power shifts in Middle East

Officials call on Biden to take steps to stop Arab states from normalising relations with Syrian leader

Moves to re-engage Bashar al-Assad without him taking steps to stabilise Syria or commit to reforms should be met by more robust US leadership that holds the Syrian leader to account and addresses a litany of US policy failings, a group of prominent former officials say.

In an unprecedented letter to President Joe Biden and secretary of state, Antony Blinken, the officials have called for moves to stop a regional drift towards normalisation with Assad and impose a formalised ceasefire that facilitates a more impactful aid effort and helps ignite a political process.