Paris - Violent extremists seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad may instead have hurt negotiations to replace him, frustrating Western diplomats who continue to push for his ousting as a necessary part of a peace agreement in the Mideast nations bloody civil war. Bolstered by infighting among Syrian opposition groups - including some linked to al-Qaeda that have jeopardised foreign aid - US officials say Assad has a stronger grasp on power now than he did just months ago, when the US and Russia called for a new round of talks to settle the 2½-year-old war that has killed more than 100 000 people. Still, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Assads recent gains do not assure his future in a new government. How to persuade Assad to step down will be part of the focus on Tuesday at a London meeting of 11 nations from the West and Mideast seeking a negotiated settlement to the war.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 11:44:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015