Resource-Intensive: US Not Considering to Establish No-Fly Zone in Syria

The United States is not considering a no-fly zone in Syria because it is too resource-intensive and distracts from the fight against the Islamic State and support for the Syrian opposition, a senior US administration official told reporters on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told journalists that Washington did rule out the introduction of a no-fly zone in Syria in the future, but it had "indicated that it's not something that it is considering right now."

Previously, Turkey proposed a buffer zone in northern Syria, but the United States and NATO did not support this initiative.

"On the no-fly zone… we see significant resource challenges associated with focusing on the establishment of the no-fly zone that could take away from other elements of our counter-ISIL campaign and support to opposition in different parts of the country," the official said in explaining why the US is not considering a no-fly zone.