Kerry talks Syria with Saudi king

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Kerry talks Syria with Saudi king

MATTHEW LEE, AP Diplomatic Writer

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry has met with Saudi Arabia's monarch, King Salman, to follow up on discussions he held earlier this week with others about efforts to revive a peace process for Syria.

Kerry met the king at his ranch outside the Saudi capital late Saturday. The State Department says Kerry and the king reaffirmed their commitment to a unified, pluralistic and stable Syria without current President Bashar Assad as its leader.

Kerry and the Saudi, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers met on Friday in Vienna to discuss ways of promoting a political transition in Syria.

They are expected to meet again next week to further consider the way ahead.

The State Department says Kerry and the king also discussed the situations in Yemen and Libya.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-25

[LuckyNo4]

"The State Department says Kerry and the king reaffirmed their commitment to a unified, pluralistic and stable Syria without current President Bashar Assad as its leader."

What is it with these greedy evil people who want to control other peoples countries. I was brought up to know right from wrong and to question everything. I love my country and would defend it if attacked with my life but what the west is doing across the middle east for pure greed and gain to benefit a select few is wrong. Kerry you should be discussing Saudi Arabias crimes against its own people and why the majority of 9-11 alleged instigators were Saudi nationals, before anything else. Here's some news for you ..Putin will never let you take Syria.

[razer]

I saw the news release when Putin was in Saudi last month The body language of Putin and the body language of the Saudis said it all. Like Putin was saying ... enough of this crap ... funding Islamist ... it's going to stop. By the way ... Do you know at what temperature sand turns to glass?

[Soutpeel]

The Saudi king is on his way out...

[Rancid]

Well the Saudi king would be the right one to talk to about removing oppressive dictators... as long as his name isn't tactlessly mentioned.

[Ulic]

That's right John, go and kiss the ring.

[connda]

If Kerry and friends wish to resolve this situation, try talking to Putin. Assad isn't going anywhere while Russia is exercising their 'national interests' just as the West does over virtually the rest of the planet. Well, unless NATO plans to start WWIII. They they can kiss the benefits of Western hegemony goodbye as the infrastructures needed to continue the money flow are destroyed in the process. Nukes fly the next time: MAD makes nobody any money. It just drives the elites underground, literally, to a Morlock existence.

[Trouble]

I'm actually happy that Putin has stepped into the mess in Syria. First off the Obama and Kerry seem to think it is alright to support a revolt as long as it is against a leader with whom one disagrees and sees as a tyrant (remember Gaddafi). Sorry but encouraging the rebels was a mistake in the first place and has probably led to greater loss of life in the big picture. I would not even say the US can trust the rebels as they certainly promise the US democracy in Syria but in the final picture it will turn to shi* and they will have their continuing conflicts along ethnic and religious lines. If the internal conflict had taken its course and the rebels won the fight then fine. It's my belief that most of these rebels only want a change because their leaders see the possibility of getting power and most likely that would lead to the complete break up of the country into factions vying for control causing more death and destruction. Assad probably had the upper hand and the revolt would have been put down without the US and others butting into the mess. The continuing conflict further allowed ISIS/ISIL to expand spreading their particular brand of hate. Putin is not going to listen to anyone and will assist Assad to remain in power and I think once the rebels are defeated, Putin and Assad will go after ISIS with a vengeance. The quicker Putin helps Assad regain control the sooner the violence will stop. Of course there are going to be a lot of rebels running for Europe because they know where they will end up. My comments of support for Putin stepping in are not meant to infer that Assad is a good guy but like Tito, Gadaffi, Saddam Hussein, they managed to hold the countries together and in every case once they were gone the ethnic and religious hatred reappeared we all know where that lead. It seems that for all the blame the Obama administration placed on Bush for the problems in the middle ease, Obama learned nothing and has continued and made worst the situation there. Had Obama not pulled troops out of Iraq but kept them their in the background to train and stabilize the Iraqi forces, just maybe Iraq would be a more stable place now. At least he saw that mistake and is leaving some residual force in Afghanistan. Hopefully the troops can remain safe but be a stabilizing force. However, it may be too little too late at this point.