Reuters: Russia stance on Assad suggests divergence with Iran
Russia does not see keeping Bashar al-Assad in power as a matter of principle, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Tuesday in comments that suggested a divergence of opinion with Iran, the Syrian president's other main international backer.
Fuelling speculation of Russian-Iranian differences over Assad, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps suggested on Monday that Tehran may be more committed to him than Russia, saying Moscow "may not care if Assad stays in power as we do".
While Russia and Iran have been Assad's foremost foreign supporters during Syria's four-year-old war, the United States, its Gulf allies and Turkey have insisted the president must step down as part of any eventual peace deal.Talks in Vienna on Friday among the main foreign players involved in diplomatic efforts on Syria failed to reach agreement on Assad.
Asked by a reporter on Tuesday if saving Assad was a matter of principle for Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "Absolutely not, we never said that."
WNU Editor: I listened to the above video .... this is actually nothing new in Russian policy towards Syria. They may say they are prepared to accept another leader in Syria .... but realistically there is no one to replace him right now ... and the Russians know that. The Syrian opposition is too fragmented (at the moment) to present a viable alternative to Assad, and until they get their act together (which I doubt) .... nothing is going to change in Syria.
More News On Reports That Russia Is Pondering Abandoning Syrian President Assad
Russia changing stance on backing for Assad? -- CBS/AP
Russia softens its support for Syria's Assad -- UPI
Russia: Keeping Syria's Assad in Power Not Crucial -- VOA
Russia 'Will Not Insist' Assad Remains In Syria -- SKY News
Russia: Keeping Assad in Syria ‘not critical’ -- Washington Times
3 comments:
WNU Editor,
MoA has an article up about the dynamic and timing of this sort of non-news,
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2015/11/breaking-news-russias-position-on-assad-unchanged-since-2011-reuters-bbc.html#more
"A typical part of propaganda campaigns is to claim that the "villain" has very recently changed his political positions. Then follows "analysis" which interprets the "change" as a sure sign that the villain is under pressure and on the verge of loosing the fight. Often such claims are completely unfounded as the villain only repeated a long standing position. They are only made to repeat, repeat, repeat ... that the villain is or was up to something bad."
I read where Assad would have left sometime between 21012 and 2014 of his own accord, but that he was held 'hostage'. He was no longer calling the shots, but he was needed as a figured head.
He might be willing to go to someplace and retire, but he represents a faction.
Assad would probably be happy to take 10 or 20 million and retire to London as an eye doctor at this point. He would probably leave with nothing and work as a n eye doctor if just left alone.
It would be a cheap way to resolve things.
(It would be cheaper to retire Kim Jong Un) to Tahiti with 50 million if it could be done now).
Anzino,
While Assad was "captured" the the Murrkobat in 2011-12, he managed to lever their mismanagement of the Uprising, with the aid of the SAA, to break their hold on him, and through deals and influence, moved from a figurehead back into the Presidency.
The U.S./Saudi/Turkish/GCC/Al Quida/ ISIS position always has been that the Assad Regime, ( Assad, all his Ministers, all the Governors, all the Generals), that Syria must be de-Baathified, ( no member of the Ba'ath Party, past or present, can ever be in Government), and that the Assad Regime cannot be part of a transitional Government.
It would be akin to Russia demanding a transitional Government in the U.S., that included no Democrats, no Republicans, no Civil Servants, no Admirals or Generals, no Governors or Mayors, no Police above the rank of Sargeant, and that anyone who who had ever been involved in the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Military, Police or Civil Service ever be allowed to serve in Government ever again.
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