U.S. Pledges Aid To Syria But Feels It'd Be 'Ironic' To Reach Out To Assad

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the U.S. is ready to assist those affected by the earthquake in Syria, but asserted that it would not engage with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Speaking at a press briefing Monday, Price said, "it would be quite ironic—if not even counterproductive—for us to reach out to a government that has brutalized its people over the course of a dozen years."