Washington sees Assad remaining until 2017
- 8 years ago
The Obama administration believes that, even in a best-case scenario, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad will remain in office through March 2017, The Associated Press (AP) revealed on Wednesday.
The news agency obtained an internal U.S. timeline for a best-case Syrian political transition which sets March 2017 for Assad to "relinquish" his position as president and for his "inner circle" to depart.
Syria, according to the would-be American strategy, would hold votes for a new president and parliament in August 2017.
The Syrian opposition has demanded that Assad step down as a condition for peace talks with the regime but in recent months, Washington and its allies in European capitals, such as France, have retreated from demands that Assad leave power immediately as the Islamic State (ISIS) gained territory in the region.
The news agency obtained an internal U.S. timeline for a best-case Syrian political transition which sets March 2017 for Assad to "relinquish" his position as president and for his "inner circle" to depart.
Syria, according to the would-be American strategy, would hold votes for a new president and parliament in August 2017.
The Syrian opposition has demanded that Assad step down as a condition for peace talks with the regime but in recent months, Washington and its allies in European capitals, such as France, have retreated from demands that Assad leave power immediately as the Islamic State (ISIS) gained territory in the region.