U.S. Says Aware of Assad Asylum Offers
The United States said Wednesday it was aware of informal offers of asylum to Syrian President Bashar Assad by countries in the Middle East and elsewhere.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner gave no details, referring reporters to others governments after being asked about speculation that the Syrian president was weighing asylum offers from Latin America.
"We do understand that some countries, both in the region and elsewhere, have offered to host Assad and his family should he choose to leave Syria," Toner said.
"We, at this point, don't have any formal understanding or knowledge of concrete offers. We are aware that some offers have been made, as I said, informally, but we don't have any concrete offers.
The asylum speculation stems from a recent trip to Cuba by Syria's deputy foreign minister, Fayssal Mekdad, who delivered a message from Assad to Cuban President Raul Castro, according to the official Cuban Prensa Latina news agency.
The Syrian official also was reported to have traveled to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador, whose leftist governments have close relations with Havana.
Tunisia's president offered Assad asylum as recently as March, and U.S. officials told lawmakers a year ago that Arab leaders were privately telling Washington that had offered Assad asylum if he would step down.
But the latest rumors come amid intensifying fighting in the suburbs of Damascus, and U.S. warnings to Syria not to use chemical weapons against its own people.
05 December 2012, 21:50
32
I hope he decides to step down before it is too late and it becomes the far west. He can negotiate to put a council in place with people from all sides that will overlook new parliament elections, a new constitution and the election of a president later on.
And of course we (leb) would benefit that the situation will not overflow to our country (more so than now).
05 December 2012, 23:48
00
@lebfrcan
This is off the subject but I am curious why the blue?
Also, the blue as it stands is kind of overwhelming, mau I suggest halving the width and giving more space to the cedar and maple leaf?
06 December 2012, 00:10
01
Leb fr can. So it's for France.
Thanks for the suggestion, Yeah i am not the best in photoshopping.
05 December 2012, 22:03
25
The butcher cannot and will not get away in one piece. At the rate of 100 death/day... No way
05 December 2012, 22:15
23
Benzona, yes he is a butcher, but the syrians will not benefit from more stubberness from him because many more dead and destruction will follow.
I want him dead as much as you, but better he leaves with a resemblance of a government or council in place than have an anarchy where it will be MUCH more difficult to rule this country for a decade to come.
06 December 2012, 10:40
10
lebfrcan you must understand that for people like benzona it's not about "what's best for syrians" it's about their hatred for hafez and their burning desire to revenge by killing his son. if what it takes is having all syrians burnt alive they dont mind.
they also dont mind if the outcome is a saudi proxi regime with all the loss of liberties that this would imply for syrians, and the quite foreseeable return of a syrian hegemony over lebanon.
m14ers are actually betting on being "rewarded" by the eventual new syrian regime which would place hariri back on the throne. no wonder saudi invested over 100,000,000,000$ in the syrian war, if their investment works out, they'll get two countries for that price, which is actually pretty cheap when you consider it
06 December 2012, 15:46
00
waw! mowaten you know what is best for syrians don t you? what an expert you are and very modest it seems too! LOL
05 December 2012, 22:14
23
he will be hanged! anything less will be a tragedy in itself.
06 December 2012, 02:12
10
No. Not hanged. What is it with people and the death penalty? Other than all other implications, here's one argument: Death - a moment's lasting of one's life, or loss of liberty - the whole rest of one's life!
Death turns some people into martyrs. Life imprisonment on the other hand...
05 December 2012, 23:23
12
Here we go.....Bashar looking to run away and hide from the mass murdering he did. No country can hold him. They will be sanctioned if they don't give him up. He is a criminal!!!
How many days left until he runs away like Aoun. He should get some pajmas for the exit.
10,9,8,7,6......The countdown is starting.
06 December 2012, 10:42
00
hahaha it's cute seeing you believe everything that americans say.
i gotta give it too you, they never lie and they're very neutral on the syrian affair. so if they say "they heard of" some "informal offers" it can only be true.
you guys are really amusing to watch, but also quite endearing
05 December 2012, 23:27
12
Run away little giraffe coward. Leave the Hezz on the battlefield like Aoun left his soldiers.
06 December 2012, 06:33
00
i already called dibs on the wife... so everybody divert your attention to other family members...
Thank you.
06 December 2012, 10:47
00
tsk tsk tsk arzak
“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
06 December 2012, 14:32
00
dear naharnet moderator, why was my comment censored? is it forbidden to quote one of the ten commandments?
here it is again, because i highly doubt there was any valid reason to delete it:
“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
