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West Signals to Syrian Opposition Assad May Stay

(Reuters) Khaled Yacoub Oweis - Western nations have indicated to the Syrian opposition that peace talks in Switzerland on Jan. 22 may not lead to the removal of President Assad and that his Alawite minority will remain key in any transitional administration, opposition sources said. The message was prompted by rise of al-Qaeda and other militant groups, and their takeover of a border crossing and arms depots near Turkey belonging to the moderate Free Syrian Army. A shift in Western priorities is seen, particularly in the U.S. and Britain, from removing Assad towards combating Islamist militants. Signaling differences with Washington, Turkey has let a weapons consignment cross into Syria to the Islamic Front, the rebel group that overran the Bab al-Hawa border crossing last week, seizing arms and Western equipment supplied to non-Islamists. A member of the Syrian opposition said Washington and Russia appeared to be working in tandem on a transitional framework in which Alawites would retain their dominant role in the army and security apparatus to assure their community against retribution and to rally a unified fight against al-Qaeda with moderate rebel brigades.
2013-12-18 00:00:00
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