"I think history will record this [Syrian conflict] as probably the greatest failure of Obama administration," Ross said in an interview with the Bloomberg television.
The US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003, without a UN mandate, after accusing then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein of possessing weapons of mass destruction, which were never found. After Hussein's rule was brought to an end, the conflict in Iraq, which is widely believed to have been triggered by the 2003 invasion, continued. In 2011, US troops left the country, after which an internal conflict emerged in Iraq between the government and militant groups, resulting in multiple terror attacks and ongoing violence.
Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including Daesh, which is banned in a range of countries, including Russia.
