The Washington administration considers it a real risk that Syria will turn into a springboard for terrorist groups after the armed opposition came to power in the country. This was stated by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, speaking on Tuesday at the 92NY cultural center in New York.

Describing the current situation in the Middle East, Sullivan noted that there are major risk factors. And the most realistic place to see those risks is probably in Syria where terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, are trying to take advantage of the situation in the country, he added.

Asked if Syria could become a base for terrorists, Sullivan said there is a real and ongoing risk of that, and he does not believe that one should to cover this fact.

According to the US National Security Advisor, if there will be a vacuum in Syria, there will be a risk that extremely determined and experienced jihadists, starting with ISIS, will try to take advantage of it, seize territory, especially in eastern Syria, and use it to prepare terrorist attacks, including against the United States.

It must be understood that the moment Damascus fell, ISIS began looking for any opportunity to rebuild, grow, spread, and ultimately create a base from which to threaten the United States and Americans around the world, Sullivan said.