‘No-Fly Zone in Syria Not on Washington’s Agenda Right Now’

WASHINGTON- White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest has told journalists that Washington hasn’t ruled out the introduction of a “no-fly zone” in Syria in the future, but it has “indicated that it’s not something that it is considering right now”; the comment comes amid reports that Secretary John Kerry had asked his staff “to further develop the idea,” according to Sputnik.

 “We’ve not been in a position to take it [the possibility of a no-fly zone in Syria] off the table or to rule it out in the future, but we have indicated that it’s not something that we’re considering right now,” Earnest told reporters on Wednesday.

At a separate briefing, State Department spokesman John Kirby did acknowledge, however, that the issue has been discussed.

“We continue to have discussions about how to best go after the so called “Islamic State” group and particularly there in Syria, in northern Syria in particular,” he said. “To date, there’s been no decision to move forward with a no-fly zone.”

John Kirby however declined to directly answer questions about the reports that US Secretary of State John Kerry has asked his staff “to further develop the idea.

H.M