US comments on Bashar al-Assad encourage 'more crimes': Syria opposition

Istanbul: Syria's opposition today said the latest comments from Washington softening its line against President Bashar al-Assad were encouraging him to commit more crimes, after a deadly suspected chemical attack blamed on the regime.

"Until now, this (US) administration has done nothing and adopted an attitude of a spectator, making statements that give the regime an opportunity to commit more crimes," the deputy head of the Syrian National Coalition Abdelhakim Bashar told reporters in Istanbul.

The previous administration of former US president Barack Obama had always pushed for the ouster of Assad, supporting the rebels fighting against his forces.

But in an apparent U-turn, the US ambassador to the United Nations and other top officials in the new administration of President Donald Trump have said ousting Assad is no longer a priority.

"You pick and choose your battles," US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told reporters, echoing comments made by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a visit to Turkey last week.

But in a toughening of rhetoric, the White House accused Assad of carrying out a "reprehensible" and "intolerable" chemical attack in Syria yesterday that left at least 72 dead.

Abdelhakim Bashar said that the Assad regime posed an even greater danger to security than Islamic State (IS) jihadists and the former Al-Qaesa affiliate Al-Nusra front, now called Fateh al-Sham.

"As long as the regime is in place it won't be possible to defeat terrorism," said Bashar, whose group is the main umbrella organisation of Syrian opposition organisations.

"Even if Daesh (IS) and Al-Nusra are going to be eliminated then this regime would create new terrorist groups to ask the world to choose between it and terrorism," he said.