Syria’s Assad awaits US ‘actions’ after Kerry comments

DAMASCUS/BRUSSELS — Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad said Monday he was waiting for action from Washington after Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged talks with Damascus were necessary to end the country’s conflict.

The weekend remarks by the top US envoy were quickly clarified by his spokeswoman, who said Washington’s policy was unchanged and Assad had no role in Syria’s future.

But in Damascus, local media touted Kerry’s statement as a reversal of US policy, and Assad said he was waiting to see whether they would be followed by action.

“We are still listening to the comments and we have to wait for the actions and then we’ll decide,” the Syrian leader told Iranian television in remarks carried by Syrian state media.

Assad has long accused Washington of “supporting terrorism” because of its backing for the Syrian opposition, and repeated Monday that any shift in policy required an end to that.

“We have no choice but to defend our country,” he added.

“Any international changes that come about within that framework are something positive, if they are honest and have an effect on the ground.”

‘We have to negotiate’ 

Assad was speaking after Kerry said in an interview broadcast Sunday that Washington could negotiate with Assad.

“Well, we have to negotiate in the end,” the US envoy said, when asked by CBS television if he would negotiate with Assad.

Kerry stressed that any negotiations would be in the context of the Geneva communiqué.

The document, produced after 2012 peace talks, calls for a transitional governing body with full executive powers, but makes no mention of Assad’s future.

Syria’s government insists Assad’s departure from office is not up for discussion, but the opposition and its backers say he can have no role in the country’s future after a bloody four-year civil war.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday rejected any role for Assad in Syrian peace talks, saying it would be a “scandalous gift” to Daesh terror group.

“The solution is a political transition which would preserve regime institutions, not Mr Bashar Al Assad. Any other solution which would keep Mr Assad in the saddle would be an absolutely scandalous, gigantic gift to Daesh,” Fabius said in Brussels.

“The millions of Syrians who have been persecuted by Assad would transfer their support to Daesh. Obviously that must be avoided.”

The French minister said he had spoken to Kerry on Monday morning and that the top US diplomat “assured me that there was absolutely nothing new in the American position on Syria.”

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that she understood Kerry was referring to the Syrian regime and not Assad.

“I don’t think he was referring to Assad himself... but to the regime,” she told a press conference after a meeting with EU foreign ministers.

In his interview, Kerry made no reference to Assad’s future, but said pressure was being applied on the leader to bring him to the negotiating table.

Syrian media on Monday described the remarks as evidence of the “failure” of Washington’s Syria policy, saying Washington was acknowledging Assad would not be ousted militarily.

“Facing a fait accompli, the American administration has backed down and recognised the need to reposition its policy on the Syria crisis,” wrote Al Watan, which is close to the government.

‘Recognising Assad’s legitimacy’ 

“This is a new recognition of President Assad’s legitimacy, his key role and his popularity, and the resulting necessity of negotiating with him,” the daily said.

The newspaper suggested Kerry’s comments could pave the way for American participation in talks on the conflict hosted by Russia next month.

Moscow, a key Assad ally, is seeking to sponsor its own peace initiative, but there has been no indication of whether the US-backed Syrian opposition will attend the April 6 talks.

Kerry’s comments drew consternation from some in the Syrian opposition.

Samir Nashar, a member of the US-backed Syrian opposition National Coalition, said the remarks appeared to be a “test”.

“They are an intentional test to see the reactions of Syrians and of countries that support the Syrian revolution,” he told AFP.

Nashar said the statement had “blurred the American position”.

“America used to say that Assad had to step down... But now, Kerry has adopted this ambiguity that keeps Assad afloat in any political solution.”

Kerry’s remarks come after CIA head John Brennan also warned that Washington feared a chaotic collapse of Syria’s government could usher in an Islamist takeover.

On the ground, activists said Kerry’s remarks were unsurprising.

“From the beginning, the Americans abandoned the revolution, and they prove it more each day,” said Abu Adel, an activist in the rebel Jubar area outside Damascus.

“We cannot accept Assad staying on after the deaths of tens of thousands of martyrs,” he added.

Many in the Syrian opposition have been angered by Washington’s shift in focus from their cause to the fight against Daesh terror group.