U.S. Says Allies Committed to Joining Airstrikes in Syria: Update

By Andrew Ackerman 

WASHINGTON--The U.S. has received commitments from allies to join in airstrikes on Syria as it prepares to launch attacks against Islamic State targets there, a senior American official said Sunday.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, declined to name which countries would participate but suggested they would announce "specific commitments" soon, speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation."

The administration hopes that one or two allies will join in the initial wave of airstrikes, which could be launched as early as next week. The U.S. and its allies have already begun targeting Islamic State in Iraq but have yet to launch airstrikes in neighboring Syria.

The comments come as President Barack Obama and other top U.S. officials are attending the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York this month, in part, to try to woo more partners to the U.S.-led coalition.

Ms. Power, on NBC's "Meet the Press," also said moderate rebels in Syria have been fighting Islamic extremists since December but have lost territory over time as they have struggled to fight both Islamic State and the regime of Bashar Al-Assad at the same time.

"We think with an infusion of support, these fighters, who have actually held their own against this wide array of actors fighting on all fronts will be in a much stronger position both to go after ISIL and to put pressure on the regime so we can get back to the negotiating table for a political solution," she said.

Secretary of State John Kerry addressed a special session of the U.N. Security Council on Friday and stressed the importance of support from European and Arab states for the campaign against the extremist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

Asked by CBS's Bob Schieffer if the U.S. has any indication that other nations would be willing to join the U.S. in Syrian airstrikes, Ms. Power said: "We do, Bob, but we're going to leave it to other nations to announce for themselves what their specific commitments to the coalition are going to be."

Speaking later on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, Ms. Power said the U.S. wouldn't be alone in attacking Syria. "I will make you a prediction, George, which is that we will not do the airstrikes alone, if the president decides to do the airstrikes," she said.

France has joined the U.S. in striking targets in Iraq, but French President François Hollande has publicly said he would not extend those strikes to Syria. French officials have said they are worried striking Islamic State in Syria could bolster the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Ms. Power, on NBC, highlighted France's decision to participate in attacks in Iraq as well as Saudi Arabia's offer to train moderate Syrian rebels.

"We're seeing a diverse range of forms of support, and the commitments are coming in every day."

Write to Andrew Ackerman at [e-mail]

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