Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned in comments broadcast Thursday that he would wage war to expel U.S. troops from northeastern Syria if dialogue fails to bring the area back under government control.  It was not the first time that Assad has threatened to attack U.S. troops, but it was his most explicit expression yet of his determination to rid Syria of American forces. In an interview with RT,

Russia’s state-owned international broadcaster, Assad said the United States should heed the lessons of Iraq and get out of Syria before it is forced to leave. The Syrian government already is involved in negotiations with local factions to bring the area back under its control, he said. If the dialogue fails, he said, “we are going to resort to liberating the area by force, with the Americans or without the Americans.” READ MORE