Peace Envoy Says Assad Could Contribute to 'New' Syria

W460

U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who arrived in Damascus Monday, believes President Bashar Assad could contribute to the transition to a "new" Syria, but not as the country's leader.

Brahimi, who was in Syria on the latest leg of a regional tour to rally support for peace talks, spoke about Assad in an interview in Paris with the Jeune Afrique website published Monday.

"Many of those around (Assad) believe his candidacy (for a new presidential term in 2014) is a fact. He considers this an absolute right... He thinks above all of completing his mandate," the veteran Algerian diplomat said.

However, "what history teaches us is that after a crisis like this there is no going back. President Assad could therefore usefully contribute to the transition from the Syria of before, that of his father (the late president Hafez Assad) and himself, to what I call the new Republic of Syria."

Brahimi said the U.S.-Russian accord to dismantle Syria's chemical arsenal had transformed Assad from a "pariah" into a "partner" and convinced his supporters even more of his ability to prevail.

Brahimi also faces an uphill battle in convincing the fractured opposition to attend the Geneva talks, after 19 Islamist rebel groups warned that anyone taking part in the talks would be considered a traitor.

"This conference is the beginning of a process. We hope that the opposition will manage to agree on a credible and representative delegation," Brahimi said.

"We should not delude ourselves: the entire world will not be present. But as the process continues, it should include as much of the world as possible."

Brahimi, a veteran international troubleshooter, said he feared that if a settlement could not be reached Syria may become a failed state like Somalia, which has not had a functioning government for two decades.

"The real threat in Syria is not the partition of the country. The real danger is a sort of "Somalization," but even more deep and lasting than what we have seen in Somalia."

Comments 4
Thumb bronco 28 October 2013, 20:17

the best contribution Assad can ever provide is to pack his bags and leave

Missing VINCENT 29 October 2013, 01:19

I think the irony of all this is that the average Lebanese people no matter what religion, secs, etc. just want to get along, live and prosper without interference from outsiders, and they are not the ones who are being benefited from all this

Missing helicopter 29 October 2013, 03:41

inside-man,
Why then do we have 1 Million Syrian refugees in Lebanon alone? If they were not against Assad don/t you think they would have took sheltered in Government controlled areas of Syria? Add to that the other millions is Turkey, Jordan and Iraq and in Rebel controlled areas. It is true there are foreign fighters and Islamists released from syrian jail by Assad himself to derail the revolution. The plan worked as it kept the West from arming the FSA and those fighters turned against FSA. Meanwhile heavy support with arms and fighters from HA and Iran on the regime side.

Thumb primesuspect 29 October 2013, 05:55

they r truly sick people