Philip Hammond hints at EU rift over future role for Bashar al-Assad

[Sally]

Does anyone think Assad will go peacefully if asked to leave?


Philip Hammond hints at EU rift over future role for Bashar al-Assad


Foreign secretary accepts dialogue with Syrian president necessary to combat Isis, while Spain and Austria believe he could have role in interim solution




Philip Hammond departed from western stance of not commenting on Syrian president. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA
Reuters in Paris

Friday 25 September 2015 19.12 EDTLast modified on Friday 25 September 201519.39 EDT

Philip Hammond has said that while Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad must go, it might be necessary to talk with him as part of a deal on a transition of power.

The British foreign secretary gave an interview with French daily Le Monde on Friday, in which he appeared to depart from the strict US and western policy of not talking with Assad. His comments hint at a rift between Europe’s main powers over the role of the Syrian leader after more than four years of civil war.

“Assad must go, he can’t be part of Syria’s future,” Hammond told Le Monde. “If we reach a deal on a transition of authority and Assad is part of it, then it will be necessary to talk with him in his capacity as an actor in this process.”

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Philip Hammond hints at EU rift over future role for Bashar al-Assad?

 

[aris2chat]

duh, no kidding

some will grasp at and end to fighting and refugee crisis, even assad, but it will not be a permanent peace and in a few years the pressure cooker will build up an explode again