Syria: US, Europe begin to realize they need Assad to stay in power - expert

Syrian President Bashar Assad has sent a private message to Pope Francis. Assad confirmed his readiness to participate in next month’s peace talks, but noted that outside countries must stop supporting terrorist groups in the country’s civil war. The message was delivered by Syria’s minister of state Joseph Sweid, who arrived to the Vatican to hold talks with the pope’s secretary of state Archbishop Pietro Parolin and foreign minister Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. The Voice of Russia talked to Alan Hart, veteran middle east journalist with a long record of covering Syrian matters, to get a deeper insight into the issue.

Alan, why did President Assad send a message to Pope Francis? Do you think the Roman Catholic Church and Pope could play a key role in bringing violence in Syria to an end? What do you think?

Well, this Pope is I think proving to be a good guy. But you know, it is a big open question mark is whether there is any point in these talks. I mean, they are still scheduled, but I think the Obama Administration and the Europeans don't know what the hell to do. And frankly I think your own foreign minister Lavrov was probably correct when he indicated the other day by implication that behind close doors the Americans and the Europeans are probably beginning to realize that they actually need the Assad regime to stay in power. Its forces of violence, Islamic fundamentalism, all the jihadists are to be prevented from having a permanent base in Syria from which they create regional and possibly global havoc. But you know, there is one big test for me for this meeting and it is whether Iran is going to be allowed to participate or not.

To me that is the key. I mean, I agree with your foreign minister and president and I agree with the UN chief negotiator for the problem but Obama has got a huge problem. I think he is smart enough to understand that he needs Iran to be at the table, but of course the Zionist lobby in America plus its stooges in Congress, plus Israel's Arab state allies of convenienceled by Saudi Arabia don't want Iran there. So the question for me is – does president Obama have the balls, as we say in English, to defy the Zionist lobby and Saudi Arabia's allies?

Alan, my question is – do you think the talks are going to be delayed once again? I mean, you know, president Assad said that he was ready once again to participate in next month's peace talks. Surely they could be delayed, couldn't they? Well, I'm sure they could but as I said I think the thing is – the Obama Administration and the Europeans don't know what the hell to do. But for me everything hangs on whether they are wise enough to have Iran included and to have Iran at the table. But I would currently be very pessimistic about the talks' starting and whether they can contribute to ending the obscene killing and slaughter and destruction.

You've been monitoring everything very carefully, I know. Do we have any sort of inside information of what the current situation is concerning the opposition?

No, I mean, they seem to me to be divided but they do seem to be universally, I mean not many correspondents are reliable while they are on the ground there. It is too dangerous. But the impression I'm getting from those who are there and some of the humanitarian organizations is that the jihadists are actually according the shots on the rebel side. This is very dangerous, isn't it? It is not in anybody's interest. I mean, Putin has every reason to be fighting the jihadists, but, for God's sake, so is America. That is the one thing the Americans and the Russians should have in common, not only 'what can we do to stop this jihadist conflict?', but 'what can we do to stop the jihadists getting grand?' Do you think the opposition is going to split even further? Do you think we are going to see even more groups within this opposition? I think we may. I mean, I think the opposition currently is virtually useless and the non-jihadist opposition currently even agree amongst themselves. I mean that is just a terrifying mess, so it is perhaps not surprising that the Americans and the Europeans don't know what to do. So peace is going to be a long way away, don't you think, Alan? It is going to take a long time. I think so, but I've written a piece today saying that I think all the members of the Security Council and that includes the old government, I think, because of their failure to make the UN Security Council to stop the slaughter and the killing, frankly I think they are war criminals by default.

Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_12_30/Syria-US-Europe-begin-to-realize-they-need-Assad-to-stay-in-power-expert-7932/