Assad must go before peace comes to Syria, says Kerry
US Secretary of State John Kerry claims Washington is not pursuing regime change in Syria but President Bashar al-Assad must step down before any peace can be achieved in the war-torn country.
Speaking to Rossiya 24 TV channel during his visit to Moscow on Saturday, Kerry alleged that Assad is “a magnet for terrorists” and cannot stay in Syria’s “long-term future.”
Kerry said that even Russia can do little to prevent the fall of Assad, despite running an aerial campaign in Syria since late September upon a request from Damascus.
“Russia cannot stop the war with Assad there because Assad attracts the foreign fighters. Assad is a magnet for terrorists, because they are coming to fight Assad,” the top US diplomat said.
“So if you want to stop the war in Syria, and we do, if you want to fight Daesh (ISIL) and stop the growth of terrorism, you have to deal with the problem of Assad. Now, that doesn’t mean we want to change every aspect of the government; we don’t,” he added.
“We are not trying to do a regime change. We are not engaged in a color revolution. We are not engaged in trying to interfere in another country … We’re trying to make peace,” he explained.
Kerry also suggested a possible coalition with the Syrian military in the fight against foreign-backed Daesh terrorists, provided that the current legitimate Damascus government gives up power.
Kerry’s remarks echoed those of President Barack Obama who recently urged Assad to leave “in order for the country to stop the bloodshed, for all the parties involved to be able to move forward in a nonsectarian way.”
Syria has been grappling with a lethal conflict since 2011. The war has consumed the lives of more than 250,000 Syrians, according to the UN.
‘Russia, US cooperation possible’
Elsewhere in the interview, Kerry noted that it was possible for Russia and the US to join forces in the fight against ISIL, something he said he wanted to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I am here to talk with President Putin about Syria and our need to join together to stabilize Syria; try to make peace in a way that keeps it as a whole country, and also – most importantly – also destroy Daesh. Daesh is a terrorist organization, a threat to all of us. We have a common interest and we need to work together,” he said.
The secretary of state described his second trip to Russia in less than a year as “a reflection of the fact that despite differences, Russia and the US have been able to and want to work very effectively together.”
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