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US ready for talks with Assad to end Syria war
Syrian and Turkish citizens shout slogans and hold placards during a demonstration against the Syrian region in Istanbul on Sunday. Syria’s conflict entered its fifth year on Sunday amid international appeals to end the conflict. PHOTO BY AFP
What you need to know:
he Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 215,518 people had been killed in the past four years, nearly a third of them civilians and including more than 10,000 children
Washington. As the war in Syria entered its fifth year Sunday, the US said it would have to negotiate with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as it seeks to “reignite” new peace talks.
“Well, we have to negotiate in the end. We’ve always been willing to negotiate in the context of the Geneva I process,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said when asked by CBS television if he would negotiate with Assad.
Mr Kerry’s spokesperson stressed, however, there had been no change in US policy as it was envisioned any talks would be held with representatives of the Assad regime rather than directly with the Syrian leader.
“Our policy has not changed -- there is no future for a brutal dictator like Assad in Syria,” said Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf in a statement. In the past four years, more than 215,000 people have been killed and half of the country’s population displaced, prompting human rights groups to accuse the international community of “failing Syria.”
Amid the dragging stalemate on the ground, the country has been carved up between government forces, jihadist groups, Kurdish fighters and the remaining non-jihadist rebels.
Mr Kerry acknowledged increased pressure was needed on Mr Assad to bring the regime back to negotiations which stalled after two rounds last year in Geneva.
“That’s under way right now. And I am convinced that, with the efforts of our allies and others, there will be increased pressure on Assad.”
The top US diplomat met earlier this month with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss ways of kick-starting the stalled peace talks.
“Assad didn’t want to negotiate. What we’re pushing for is to get him to come and do that,” he replied when asked again if he would negotiate with Mr Assad.
The background
The conflict began as an anti-government uprising, with protesters taking to the streets on March 15, 2011.But a fierce government crackdown on the demonstrations prompted a militarisation of the uprising. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 215,518 people had been killed in the past four years, nearly a third of them civilians and including more than 10,000 children.
