U.S. Pursued Secret Back-Channel Contacts With The Syrian Regime Over Several Years

The Levant

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Pursued Secret Contacts With Assad Regime for Years

Effort to limit violence and get president to relinquish power failed.

The Obama administration pursued secret communications with elements of Syria’s regime over several years in a failed attempt to limit violence and get President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power, according to U.S. and Arab officials.

Early on, the U.S. looked for cracks in the regime it could exploit to encourage a military coup, but found few.

The efforts reflect how President Barack Obama’s administration has grappled to understand and interact with an opaque Middle East dictatorship run for 45 years by the Assad family.

Unlike the secret White House back channel to Iran, however, the Syria effort never gained momentum and communication was limited. This account is based on interviews with more than two dozen people, including current and former U.S. officials, Arab officials and diplomats. Most of these contacts haven’t been previously reported.

WNU Editor: It is interesting that this news is becoming public right before Christmas and a few days after Seymour Hersh wrote about the U.S. military and U.S. intelligence providing aid to the Assad regime .... Is The U.S. Military Secretly Providing Intel To The Syrian Regime On Extremists? Is this a coincidence .... hmmm .... I doubt it.

More News On The U.S. Pursuing Secret Back-Channel Contacts With The Syrian Regime

U.S. held secret communications with Syrian government: WSJ -- Reuters
US officials secretly communicated with Assad regime for years, report says -- FOX News
Report: US tried to encourage Syrian military coup -- The Hill
Syria Conflict: US Conducted 'Secret' Backchannel Talks With Bashar Assad Over Several Years, Report Says -- IBTimes
Passive Aggression: US Sought Syrian Military Coup Against Assad for Years -- Sputnik
Report: US Secretly Tried to Spur a Coup in Syria -- Newser
Obama administration tried to encourage Syrian coup — report -- Times of Israel