Washington, Dhu-AlQa'dah 13, 1436, August 28, 2015, SPA -- The US State Department said today that the United States remains strongly committed to achieving a genuine, negotiated political transition away from Bashar al-Assad that brings an end to the violence and leads to a future that fulfills Syrians’ aspirations for freedom and dignity. "We are cognizant that Assad’s continued tenure fuels extremism and inflames tensions in the region," the US State Department said in a statement after U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Michael Ratney visited Moscow today, for consultations with Russian officials on the ongoing conflict in Syria. --SPA 01:14 LOCAL TIME 22:14 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w