Assad’s regime approaching end, says NATO; ally Russia agrees
14 Dec 2012 7:36 AM IST
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime is approaching collapse and he should take steps to begin talks on a political transition, NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday.
‘I think the regime in Damascus is approaching collapse ... it is only a question of time,’ Rasmussen said, adding that Assad should ‘initiate a process that leads to the accommodation of the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.’
‘I urge the regime to stop violence, to realise what the actual situation is,’ he said, as Moscow signalled for the first time that its long-time ally in Damascus could be losing a bloody conflict which has so far cost more than 42,000 lives. His comments came amid a growing perception that the tide has turned, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov saying the rebels had made important gains after getting increased external support.
‘As for preparing for victory by the opposition, this, of course, cannot be excluded,’ the ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Bogdanov as saying. ‘You need to look the facts in the eyes - the government regime is losing more and more control over a large part of the country's territory.’
Asked if the reported use of Scud missiles was a sign of Assad's desperation, Rasmussen said he could not judge the motive but ‘the use of such indiscriminate weapons shows utter disregard for the lives of the Syrian people.
‘The battle for Damascus is about to begin and this battle could change the rules of the game,’ he said.
Syria’s most powerful ally, Russia, said for the first time on Thursday that President Bashar Assad is losing control of his country and the rebels might win the civil war, dramatically shifting the diplomatic landscape at a time of enormous momentum for the opposition. While Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov gave no immediate signal that Russia would change its stance and agree to impose international sanctions on Assad’s regime, his remarks will likely be seen as a betrayal in Damascus.
‘I think the regime in Damascus is approaching collapse ... it is only a question of time,’ Rasmussen said, adding that Assad should ‘initiate a process that leads to the accommodation of the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.’
‘I urge the regime to stop violence, to realise what the actual situation is,’ he said, as Moscow signalled for the first time that its long-time ally in Damascus could be losing a bloody conflict which has so far cost more than 42,000 lives. His comments came amid a growing perception that the tide has turned, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov saying the rebels had made important gains after getting increased external support.
‘As for preparing for victory by the opposition, this, of course, cannot be excluded,’ the ITAR-TASS news agency quoted Bogdanov as saying. ‘You need to look the facts in the eyes - the government regime is losing more and more control over a large part of the country's territory.’
Asked if the reported use of Scud missiles was a sign of Assad's desperation, Rasmussen said he could not judge the motive but ‘the use of such indiscriminate weapons shows utter disregard for the lives of the Syrian people.
‘The battle for Damascus is about to begin and this battle could change the rules of the game,’ he said.
Syria’s most powerful ally, Russia, said for the first time on Thursday that President Bashar Assad is losing control of his country and the rebels might win the civil war, dramatically shifting the diplomatic landscape at a time of enormous momentum for the opposition. While Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov gave no immediate signal that Russia would change its stance and agree to impose international sanctions on Assad’s regime, his remarks will likely be seen as a betrayal in Damascus.
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