Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The White House said that the United States is not now focused on making Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave power, saying the U.S. focus is on defeating Daesh terrorist group.

At his daily news briefing, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that regarding Assad, "there is a political reality that we have to accept in terms of where we are right now." Spicer blamed the inability of former president Barack Obama, to persuade Assad to step down.

"We had an opportunity and we need to focus now on defeating Daesh," Spicer said. "The United States has profound priorities in Syria and Iraq and we've made it clear that counterterrorism, particularly the defeat of Daesh, is foremost among those priorities."