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Title: Assad can stay, for now: Kerry accepts Russian stance
Source:
AP
URL Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie ... AULT&CTIME=2015-12-15-16-01-54
Published: Dec 15, 2015
Author: Matthew Lee & Bradley Klapper
Post Date: 2015-12-15 17:52:02 by Tooconservative
Keywords: None
Views: 5264
Comments: 37
"The United States and our partners are not seeking so-called regime change," Kerry told reporters in the Russian capital after meeting President Vladimir Putin. A major international conference on Syria would take place later this week in New York, Kerry announced. Kerry reiterated the U.S. position that Assad, accused by the West of massive human rights violations and chemical weapons attacks, won't be able to steer Syria out of 4½ years of conflict. But after a day of discussions with Assad's key international backer, Kerry said the focus now is "not on our differences about what can or cannot be done immediately about Assad." Rather, it is on facilitating a peace process in which "Syrians will be making decisions for the future of Syria." Kerry's declarations crystallized the evolution in U.S. policy on Assad over the last several months, as the Islamic State group's growing influence in the Middle East has taken priority. President Barack Obama first called on Assad to leave power in the summer of 2011, with "Assad must go," being a consistent rallying cry. Later, American officials allowed that he wouldn't have to resign on "Day One" of a transition. Now, Assad's stay could be indefinite. Russia, by contrast, has remained consistent in its view that no foreign government could demand Assad's departure and that Syrians would have to negotiate matters of leadership among themselves. Since late September, it has been bombing terrorist and rebel targets in Syria as part of what the West says is an effort to prop up Assad's government. Kerry said, "No one should be forced to choose between a dictator and being plagued by terrorists." However, he described the Syrian opposition's demand that Assad must leave as soon as peace talks begin as a "nonstarting position, obviously." Earlier Tuesday in the Kremlin, Putin noted several "outstanding issues" between Russia and its former Cold War foe. Beyond Assad, these include which rebel groups in Syria should be allowed to participate in the transition process and which should be deemed terrorists, and like the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, be combatted by all. Jordan is working on finalizing the list of terrorist v. legitimate opposition forces. Representatives of Syria's opposition themselves hope this week to finalize their negotiating team for talks with Assad's government. The U.S., Russia and others hope those talks will begin early next year. Appearing beside Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed what he described as a "big negotiating day," saying the sides advanced efforts to define what a Syrian transition process might look like. The two countries also have split on Ukraine since Russia's annexation of the Crimea region last year and its ongoing, though diminished, support for separatist rebels in the east of the country. The U.S. has pressed severe economic sanctions against Russia in response and has insisted that Moscow's actions have left it isolated. But Kerry sang a different tune on Tuesday. "We don't seek to isolate Russia as a matter of policy, no," Kerry said. The sooner Russia implements a February cease-fire that calls for withdrawal of Russian forces and materiel and a release of all prisoners, he said, the sooner that "sanctions can be rolled back." The world is better off when Russia and the U.S. work together, he added, calling Obama and Putin's current cooperation a "sign of maturity." "There is no policy of the United States, per se, to isolate Russia," Kerry stressed. MOSCOW (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday accepted Russia's long-standing demand that President Bashar Assad's future be determined by his own people, as Washington and Moscow edged toward putting aside years of disagreement over how to end Syria's civil war.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 9.
#4. To: TooConservative, Willie Green, A Pole, All (#0)
Good God, does anyone associated with the Liar'n'Chief haver any pride, much less integrity? Or perhaps they all truly believe that We The People are a total bunch of ignornant dupes that will believe any and all of their BS de jure? Either way, Drats are truly repugnant and total lying sacks of sh*t. How in the world can any American with an ounce of intelligence and integrity vote for them? '"By autumn 2011, weeks after President Barack Obama demanded that Bashar Assad step aside and with the rebels making some modest gains on the battlefield, the question among the administration’s Syria watchers was: Thanksgiving or Christmas? Apart from a couple of holdouts, the president’s entire foreign policy brain trust was convinced at the time that Assad would be out by the holiday season; there was only bickering about just how soon. Syrian President Bashar Assad, shown here on Feb. 10, 2015, during an interview with the BBC, has outlasted the Obama administration’s 2011 prediction that his day are numbered. AP With the administration’s most trusted Middle East hands – diplomats, generals, intelligence officers – predicting that the Syrian leader wouldn’t last into 2012, the White House felt comfortable rolling out a tough-sounding talking point: “Assad’s days are numbered.” Throughout all those efforts, the Obama administration has refused to retire the “days are numbered” talking point. The line has floated around the State Department for so long that it’s survived two secretaries and four spokespeople. From time to time, reporters in Washington ask about it at the daily briefing – Matt Lee of The Associated Press once did the math and brought it up on Day 706 – but the administration appears unable to acknowledge that its plan for Syria hinged on a miscalculation about Assad’s staying power. The administration’s adherence to an obviously incorrect and outdated assumption now sounds almost farcical, drawing smirks at times even from the government spokespeople who have to repeat it. July 12, 2012 {Secy of State} Hillary Clinton: Bashar al-Assad’s days as Syrian leader are numbered "Despite that admission and the continuing fierce fighting between forces loyal to the government and armed opponents, Mrs Clinton claimed the Assad regime was on its last legs. Speaking at a conference in Tokyo, she said: ‘The future, to me, should be abundantly clear to those who support the Assad regime – the days are numbered.’ But in the revered words of the Drat faithful useful idiots' icon:
Is that a trick question? I'm waiting for the punch line. : )
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Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestAssad can stay, for now: Kerry accepts Russian stance
#9. To: SOSO (#4)
Good God, does anyone associated with the Liar'n'Chief haver any pride, much less integrity?
Replies to Comment # 9.
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