State Dept On Being Excluded From Syria Talks: 'There Have Always Been Talks That Don't Involve Us'

Serious discussions are being held over an approaching end to the bloody civil war in Syria. Russia, Turkey and Iran will be participating. The U.S., however, was not invited. 

Our exclusion, former UN Ambassador John Bolton told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday, is "really remarkable" and is a result of the Obama administration's weak foreign policy, which has diminished our international clout.

"It's a sign of the times," Bolton said. "It is a precise reflection of the diminution of American influence under the Obama administration." 

The State Department, however, is insisting their absence is nothing out of the ordinary.

.@statedeptspox on Syria: There have always been talks that don't involve us, but we are still going to be a leader in this effort pic.twitter.com/rS0cZRGn7A

— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) December 21, 2016

“It wasn’t about being kicked out of the party,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said. “There have always been multilateral discussions about Syria that we haven’t been a party to and this is another one. I totally understand that.”

Kirby said the administration would welcome any better outcome in Syria – whether or not they’re part of the discussion.

The U.S., he said, is still going to be a leader in this effort.