On Sunday, Rouhani said that Assad’s regime “can’t be weakened” by the global community if they wish to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) group, in an address to journalists on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Advertisement
“It wouldn’t work because you would not be able to defeat ISIL (Islamic State) if that guy is still running the country“, Cameron said.
FILE – British Prime Minister David Cameron said September 27, 2015, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could stay on as part of a transitional government but shouldn’t be part of a long-term solution, September 7, 2015. The prime minister told reporters Assad has “butchered his own people” and fomented the rise of Islamic State (Isis).
The reform-minded Rouhani has reached a landmark denuclearization accord with major powers, a step in reconciliation with the United States, the traditional bugbear of Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Russia’s move looks likely to chill a tentative detente begun this year between Russian Federation and Saudi Arabia despite their backing for opposing sides in Syria’s conflict and their differences over the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Mr Cameron said there had been no change in the position on the possible extension of RAF air strikes against IS positions from Iraq into Syria – despite the election of the anti-war left-winger Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader. “We regret that the national uprisings in the region were diverted by terrorists,” he said. “Assad is one of the recruiting sergeants for ISIL because of what he has done to his people“.
Putin is set to make a major speech at the UN General Assembly in New York later on Monday, before holding his first official meeting with US President Barack Obama in over two years. “Why aren’t we letting ISIS go and fight Assad and then we pick up the remnants?”
It grew out of Al Qaeda after the misguided US-led invasion of Iraq; like Al Qaeda, it appeals to extremist Sunni Islamists.
On Syria, the official said Kerry and Lavrov had discussed “both the military and the political implications of Russia’s increased engagement”, and the need to return to efforts to bring about a political transition to end the civil war.
Following the previously mentioned remarks about the U.S. military in Afghanistan, this last minute addition was inserted: “It is urgent for the United States government instead of explaining the truth of the region and throwing about baseless accusations and pursuing other risky policies in defense of its regional allies who only cultivate the seeds of division and extremism”.
Advertisement
Moscow has been ramping up its involvement in Syria in defence of Assad by ferrying weapons, troops and supplies to an airport near the Syrian coastal city of Latakia in what the US sees as preparations for setting up an airbase there.
