Damascus never formally requested the US-led coalition, which was formed in response to IS taking over large parts of Iraq previous year, to expand its airstrikes into Syria. Nonetheless, the widespread condemnation of European countries that have refused to accept refugees is not entirely fair. Negotiations with the Assad regime have been taking place on a regular basis.
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Russia’s increasing military and diplomatic support for President Bashar-al Assad and US opposition to his rule are complicating the situation.So, what can be done to end the bloodshed in Syria?The Heat spoke to Flynt Leverett. With more consideration, those contemplating regime change would have noted that Assad and his cronies provided no indication whatsoever that they would heed the call and leave.
So long as the USA remains on the outside looking in on this realization that their rebel allies are getting smaller and smaller, it’s probably going to keep them out of any efforts to help the similarly faltering Assad government fight the groups that are actually growing, primarily ISIS. “We wanted to bring democracy to Iran, but we couldn’t, and they suppressed all of us”, he says, referring to the “Green Movement” protests that erupted after an apparently rigged presidential election in 2009 and were violently crushed.
With millions of Syrians forced into camps across the Middle East, tens of thousands crossing Europe on foot and hundreds washing up dead on beaches, America has promised to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees next year. Russian Federation is essentially making a stand in Syria in order to indicate that there would be costs in its being ignored in world affairs. This technically makes such attacks illegal under worldwide law.
Assad has repeatedly rejected calls to step down, telling Russian media this month the president “comes to power with the consent of the people, through elections, and he leaves at the request of the people, not by a decision of the USA, the UN Security Council, the Geneva conference or the Geneva communique”.
However, the Syrian government is so far turning a blind eye to the violations of its sovereignty.
Merkel’s comment came even as the USA was struggling to deal with Russia’s stepped-up military presence in support of Assad. They are used mainly to pummel civilian neighborhoods.
Laurent Fabius said in an interview with the newspaper Le Figaro published Tuesday that “pillars of the army and the regime” must be part of a transitional Syrian government to prevent the collapse of the country. That is a laudable goal, but few believe a negotiated solution is anywhere near.
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Brussels would also increase help to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, as well as to Balkan countries on the main migrant route to the European Union, which have been stretched by the huge numbers of people coming through, he said.
