News / Foreign Policy

John Kerry says US has Plan B options for Syria

Tuesday, 23 February 2016 6:24 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 24 February 2016 4:19 AM ]

US Secretary of State John Kerry testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing about the budget on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 23, 2016. (AFP photo)

US Secretary of State John Kerry says it remains to be seen if the proposed cessation of hostilities in Syria upholds and that the US has a slew of “Plan B” options in case a political transition fails to unfold in the Arab country.

"The proof will be in the actions that come in the next days," Kerry told lawmakers during a a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

The US and Russia reached a draft deal on Monday, detailing a ceasefire to start in war-torn Syria on Saturday.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Saturday that he was ready for a ceasefire in case the terrorists did not use it to advance their ambitions and that countries backing them stop their support.

On Monday, the Syrian president also called for the parliamentary elections to be held on April 13.

"We are going to know in a month or two whether or not this transition process is really serious,” Kerry told the committee. “Assad himself is going to have to make some real decisions about the formation of a transitional governance process that’s real. If there is not... there are certainly Plan B options being considered."

Kerry stressed that partitioning of Syria was part of the Plan B if the ceasefire fails to hold.

Syria is in the midst of deadly militancy with government forces and allies, backed by Russia’s air cover, continuing to battle terrorist groups across the Arab country.

More than 470,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced in nearly five years of fighting in Syria.

In a recent interview with Press TV, American political analyst Daniel Patrick Welch predicted on February 13 that after their failed attempts to overthrow Assad, the US and its allies will implement their “Plan B” in Syria by deploying ground troops in the country.

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www.presstv.co.uk