Former Finnish President: West Ignored Russia's 2012 Peace Plan That Would Have Removed Syrian President Assad

Martti Ahtisaari with Ali Larijani, Speaker of Iran's Parliament. Photos: Morteza Nikoubazl, The Elders

The Guardian: West 'ignored Russian offer in 2012 to have Syria's Assad step aside'

Exclusive: Senior negotiator describes rejection of alleged proposal – since which time tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced

Russia proposed more than three years ago that Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, could step down as part of a peace deal, according to a senior negotiator involved in back-channel discussions at the time.

Former Finnish president and Nobel peace prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari said western powers failed to seize on the proposal. Since it was made, in 2012, tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions uprooted, causing the world’s gravest refugee crisis since the second world war.

Update #1: Russia proposed Syria peace deal in 2012 but US, UK and France ignored it: Report -- IBTimes
Update #2: Report: West Ignored Russian Offer to Have Assad Step Down in 2012 -- Haaretz/AP

WNU Editor: This is the first time that I am hearing about this. If it was anyone else .... I would have discounted it. But former Finnish President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari does have some credibility .... through the organization "The Elders" he has been one of the back channels in finding a solution to the Syrian crisis. If true .... this is depressing in every-way. At the moment .... the White House, U.K., and France are not commenting on this story .... and I expect them to remain silent. My hope is that someone will ask Hillary Clinton on what was her position when this proposal was offered when she was US Sec. of State .... but I suspect that she will not be asked, and even if asked I doubt that she will give an answer. On a side note .... when diplomacy and politics fail the consequences could be disastrous .... and in the case of Syria .... it looks like there was an attempt by diplomats to find a solution before it "blew up" .... but the "powers that be" had a different agenda at the time that with hindsight we can now say failed spectacularly.