Bashar al-Assad’s key backers hail the turn-around by Western leaders in accepting the Syrian president would remain in power, at least in the short-term future.
Bashar al-Assad’s key backers declared victory on Sunday night afterWestern leaders who had previously backed Syrian rebels, including David Cameron, said they accepted he would stay in power, at least for the time being.
Speaking to reporters on his way to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Prime Minister said Mr Assad had no “long-term” future but suggested he could remain in place during a transition period.
Germany and America have also talked up the possibility of keeping him in place in a deal to end the four-year Syrian civil war and help defeat Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato secretary-general, added that he was ready to discuss Syria with Russia, whose decision this month to pour in weapons and troops shored Mr Assad just as his defences were weakening. Mr Stoltenberg said there was now need for “co-ordination” with Russia to avoid “incident or accident” as US-led forces fought Isil in the country.
The leaders of Russia and Iran, which has also sent thousands of loyal militias to fight on Mr Assad’s behalf, leaped on the comments.
“I think today everyone has accepted that president Assad must remain so that we can combat the terrorists,” president Hassan Rouhani of Iran told CNN in an interview.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia gloated over the failure of the American programme to train anti-Assad rebels to fight Isil on the ground. “The initial aim was to train between 5,000 and 6,000 fighters, and then 12,000 more,” he said in a separate interview.
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