Rubio warns Syria could be weeks away from 'epic' fresh civil war

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on May 20 that Syria could be weeks away from a fresh civil war of "epic proportions", as he called for support to the transitional leadership.

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WASHINGTON -

"It is our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they're facing, is maybe weeks - not many months - away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions, basically the country splitting up," Mr Rubio told a US Senate hearing.

The top American diplomat spoke after a series of bloody attacks on the Alawite and Druze minorities in Syria, where Islamist-led fighters in December toppled Mr Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive after a brutal civil war that began in 2011.

US President Donald Trump last week on a visit to Saudi Arabia announced a lifting of Assad-era sanctions and met the guerilla leader who is now Syria's transitional president, Mr Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Mr Sharaa, clad in a suit and complimented by Mr Trump as a "young, attractive guy", was until recently on a US wanted list over Islamic militant connections.

Mr Rubio said: "The transitional authority figures, they didn't pass their background check with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)."