No role for Assad in Syria's future - U.S.'s Tillerson

[webfact]

No role for Assad in Syria's future - U.S.'s Tillerson

By Jonathan Landay

 

Iran's military chief, General Mohammad Baqeri meets with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria in this handout picture provided by SANA on October 19, 2017. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

 

GENEVA (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad and his family have no role in the future of Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday ahead of peace talks aiming at a political transition scheduled to resume next month.

 

Tillerson said that the Trump administration backed the Geneva peace talks as the only way to end the more than six-year-old war and move to a political transition and elections.

 

He was speaking after holding talks with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, who announced that stalled peace talks between the Syrian government and still-to-be-united opposition would resume in Geneva on Nov. 28.

 

"The United States wants a whole and unified Syria with no role for Bashar al-Assad in the government," Tillerson told reporters in the Swiss city at the end of a week-long trip that took him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and India.

 

"It is our view and I have said this many times as well that we do not believe that there is a future for the Assad regime and Assad family. The reign of the Assad family is coming to an end. The only issue is how that should that be brought about." 

 

When the Trump administration came into office it took the view that it was "not a prerequisite that Assad goes" before the transitional process started, he added.

 

Supported by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, Assad appears militarily unassailable and last month Assad ally Hezbollah declared victory in the Syrian war.

 

Those forces have pushed Islamic State back from large swathes of eastern Syria in recent months and over the past year have taken numerous pockets of rebel-held territory around Aleppo, Homs and Damascus.

 

"My reading is that Assad is here to stay for as long as the Russians and the Iranians have no alternative to him," a Western diplomat told Reuters. "The date of his departure will depend on the Russians more than anyone else. Once - or if - they find someone better, he may go."

 

Ceasefire deals brokered by Russia, Turkey, Iran and the United States in remaining rebel-held areas of western Syria have freed up manpower for Assad's allies.

 

Tillerson called his discussions with de Mistura "fruitful" and said the United States will "continue our efforts to de-escalate the violence in Syria".

 

He said the only reason Assad's forces had succeeded in turning the tide in the war against Islamic State and other militants was "air support they have received from Russia".

 

Tillerson said Iran, Assad's other main ally, should not be seen as having made the difference in the defeat of Islamic State in Syria.

 

"I do not see Syria as a triumph for Iran. I see Iran as a hanger-on. I don't think that Iran should be given credit for the defeat of ISIS (Islamic State) In Syria. Rather I think they have taken advantage of the situation."

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; additonal reporting by Tom Perry in Beiut; writing by Stephanie Nebehay and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Hugh Lawson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-27

[craigt3365]

When this mess is over, Assad will be brought up on a variety of charges.  The French have already started that process.

[tonray]

Assad stays in power because he and his Russian allies have won the civil war started to oust him. The more we continue the absurdity the more people will die and the more instability the Middle East will suffer.

[ilostmypassword]

17 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

When this mess is over, Assad will be brought up on a variety of charges.  The French have already started that process.

If there is a trial, it will be held with the defendant in absentia.

[craigt3365]

16 minutes ago, tonray said:

Assad stays in power because he and his Russian allies have won the civil war started to oust him. The more we continue the absurdity the more people will die and the more instability the Middle East will suffer.

Assad and his Russian allies aren't in charge of all the territory of old Syria.  But you are right, the more we allow the absurdity of Assad to continue, the more people will die.  Time to stop the insanity.  Sadly, Russia doesn't seem interested.  Even though it's now come out they were potentially partially responsible for the chemical attack earlier this year.

 

Criminal charges are coming...

[craigt3365]

6 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

If there is a trial, it will be held with the defendant in absentia.

Perhaps.  Or Russia will drop him like a hot potato.  Having accomplished what they wanted.

[ilostmypassword]

Just now, craigt3365 said:

Assad and his Russian allies aren't in charge of all the territory of old Syria.  But you are right, the more we allow the absurdity of Assad to continue, the more people will die.  Time to stop the insanity.  Sadly, Russia doesn't seem interested.  Even though it's now come out they were potentially partially responsible for the chemical attack earlier this year.

 

Criminal charges are coming...

The only way your exhortation to "stop the insanity" would work is to escalate the war there. That would be insane.

[boomerangutang]

 

"It is our view and I have said this many times as well that we do not believe that there is a future for the Assad regime and Assad family. The reign of the Assad family is coming to an end. The only issue is how that should that be brought about." 

Substitute 'Trump' for 'Assad' and you have the opinion of 80% of Americans.

[boomerangutang]

2 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Perhaps.  Or Russia will drop him like a hot potato.  Having accomplished what they wanted.

Putin won't drop him.  Russia has invested too much, and has too many ties with him to drop him.  Problems will ensue.

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

Putin won't drop him.  Russia has invested too much, and has too many ties with him to drop him.  Problems will ensue.

Putin's already been quoted as saying Assad wasn't critical to their mission.  That was several years ago.  I'll try to find the article.

[tonray]

2 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

Putin won't drop him.  Russia has invested too much, and has too many ties with him to drop him.  Problems will ensue.

Russia has military bases in Syria that are the principal reason for their involvement, they will not give them up. And Iran also supports Assad as he is a member of the Alawite sect that is more closely aligned with Shiite ideology than anything else.

[craigt3365]

5 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

The only way your exhortation to "stop the insanity" would work is to escalate the war there. That would be insane.

That's your opinion.  There are others and they don't involved escalating the war.  Sadly, it involves Russia and they've never been interested in stopping the war.

[LannaGuy]

12 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

 

"It is our view and I have said this many times as well that we do not believe that there is a future for the Assad regime and Assad family. The reign of the Assad family is coming to an end. The only issue is how that should that be brought about." 

Substitute 'Trump' for 'Assad' and you have the opinion of 80% of Americans.

You just 'had to' turn it back to Trump.

[LannaGuy]

We don't want another power vacuum and most of it is not our business.

[craigt3365]

http://news.sky.com/story/russias-putin-syria-chemical-attack-accusations-groundless-10827471
 

Quote

 

Russia says its support for Syria's Bashar al Assad is 'not unconditional'

 

The comment comes after Vladimir Putin defended President Assad, calling accusations he was behind a chemical attack "unfounded".

 

Assad might be thrown under the bus for this.  It'd protect Putin, who's into it up to this ears.

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, LannaGuy said:

We don't want another power vacuum and most of it is not our business.

It's a vacuum that allowed ISIS to flourish.  So yes, it is our business.  We live in a global society.

[tonray]

7 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

It's a vacuum that allowed ISIS to flourish.  So yes, it is our business.  We live in a global society.

YEs...the vacuum we helped create by arming the rebels and trying to topple Assad....BTW much of the heavy weaponry that ISIS wages war with was provided by the USA both to the Syrian rebels (who sold it for profit) and to the Iraqi army (who abandoned it as they ran away). To keep making the same mistakes is not a good policy.

[craigt3365]

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/04/chemical-brothers-putin-assad-170408131056190.html

The chemical brothers: Putin and Assad

[LannaGuy]

17 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

It's a vacuum that allowed ISIS to flourish.  So yes, it is our business.  We live in a global society.

No it was the US incompetence and lack of planning that let ISIS flourish and if they had kept their nose out of it no ISIS today.

[craigt3365]

7 minutes ago, tonray said:

YEs...the vacuum we helped create by arming the rebels and trying to topple Assad....BTW much of the heavy weaponry that ISIS wages war with was provided by the USA both to the Syrian rebels (who sold it for profit) and to the Iraqi army (who abandoned it as they ran away). To keep making the same mistakes is not a good policy.

Perhaps you could read this for education.  ISIS gets it weapons from a variety of sources.  Including China and Russia, even Germany and France.  And yes, the US.  Bomb making materials have come from Turkey.  It's a mess, but you can't blame just the US for this.  Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, etc.  All deserve the blame also.

 

http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/10/06/where-does-the-islamic-state-get-its-weapons/

 

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/how-isis-islamic-state-isil-got-its-weapons-iraq-syria

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, LannaGuy said:

No it was the US incompetence and lack of planning that let ISIS flourish and if they had kept their nose out of it no ISIS today.

BS.  Assad was working with ISIS before the civil war.  You've just anti-US.

 

https://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n07/peter-neumann/suspects-into-collaborators

Quote

In the years that preceded the uprising, Assad and his intelligence services took the view that jihad could be nurtured and manipulated to serve the Syrian government’s aims. It was then that foreign jihadists first entered the country and helped to build the structures and supply lines that are now being used to fight the government. To that extent Assad is fighting an enemy he helped to create.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-selling-oil-to-biggest-enemy-2015-11

ISIS is selling oil to the Syrian regime

[ezzra]

All the opinions above neglects to point the finger at the real

culprit and chief war monger in this quagmire, namely Iran and

it's stooge the Hezbullah army, Between Russia Iran and the

Hezbullah, Assad role diminished to a the role of a puppet and 

sacrificed lamb to the  slaughter when Hague will be calling...

[LannaGuy]

2 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

BS.  Assad was working with ISIS before the civil war.  You've just anti-US.

 

https://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n07/peter-neumann/suspects-into-collaborators

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-selling-oil-to-biggest-enemy-2015-11

ISIS is selling oil to the Syrian regime

BS you're just anti-Russian

[LannaGuy]

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

All the opinions above neglects to point the finger at the real

culprit and chief war monger in this quagmire, namely Iran and

it's stooge the Hezbullah army, Between Russia Iran and the

Hezbullah, Assad role diminished to a the role of a puppet and 

sacrificed lamb to the  slaughter when Hague will be calling...

One thing is for sure NONE of those mention is innocent. One big quagmire and an indictment of humanity but going around 'regime changing' is not the US's job!  

[klauskunkel]

55 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Putin's already been quoted as saying Assad wasn't critical to their mission.  That was several years ago.  I'll try to find the article.

That's interesting. Wonder what Putin wants for that concession...

[smutcakes]

Wow surprised to see Craig in here with his everything negative about Russia is 100% true and everything negative about the US is 100% rubbish.

 

He really is a propaganda machines wet dream, simply believes everything which is aligned with his view and anything else is false. USA= Great/Russia=Bad

 

Western nations are complicit in getting to the current circumstances in Syria by backing one side in a conflict which is again nothing to do with us. How we can arm and assist one side who also are no angels and then sit their with the nerve to try and advise/dictate on what can or cannot happen in the country going forward. It really is mind blowingly lacking in self awareness.

 

No matter they will move onto the next country soon to screw up. North Korea? Iran? Somalia? Who knows.

[craigt3365]

26 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

BS you're just anti-Russian

Not anti-Russian.  Anti-Putin.  Just like I'm anti-Trump. 

 

So you are saying my links are incorrect?

[craigt3365]

26 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

One thing is for sure NONE of those mention is innocent. One big quagmire and an indictment of humanity but going around 'regime changing' is not the US's job!  

I'd say the relatives of the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians killed by Assad and his crew might argue with you that regime change is the job of the entire world.

 

 

[craigt3365]

9 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Wow surprised to see Craig in here with his everything negative about Russia is 100% true and everything negative about the US is 100% rubbish.

 

He really is a propaganda machines wet dream, simply believes everything which is aligned with his view and anything else is false. USA= Great/Russia=Bad

 

Western nations are complicit in getting to the current circumstances in Syria by backing one side in a conflict which is again nothing to do with us. How we can arm and assist one side who also are no angels and then sit their with the nerve to try and advise/dictate on what can or cannot happen in the country going forward. It really is mind blowingly lacking in self awareness.

 

No matter they will move onto the next country soon to screw up. North Korea? Iran? Somalia? Who knows.

Where did I say that?  I try to post factual information.  Not fake news.  If you see me posting fake news, let me know. 

 

The US isn't perfect.  But in Syria, like Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, etc, Russia is the problem.  In Iraq, the US was the problem.

 

Feel better now? LOL

[Thorgal]

54 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

It's a vacuum that allowed ISIS to flourish.  So yes, it is our business.  We live in a global society.

 

What you call today ISIS flourished actually in the 1800's in the same region.

 

Try to consider intercession in Islam and you will understand your blooper that Assad has nothing to do with it...