Russian Federation can chose between Assad or legitimate Syrian govt: Obama

“Russian Federation and Iran should choose between supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad, who “cannot regain legitimacy”, or “[saving] the Syrian state” by finding a truly legitimate Syrian government, U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday, The Associated Press news agency reported.

“It is unimaginable that you can stop the civil war there when the overwhelming majority of people in Syria consider him to be a brutal, murderous dictator”, Obama said.

By attacking both France and Russia through terrorism, the Islamic State has consolidated minds, bringing the United States, Russia, and France into a closer alliance against it.

“Right now sensible politicians are putting secondary things aside and understand that it’s necessary to focus attention on the priority: to prevent efforts by ISIL to conquer positions on the huge territory on Earth”, he said, using another acronym for IS.

“The Islamic State is not a state, of course and our common duty is to not allow it to become a state, in spite of its attempts to set up a caliphate”, he said, adding that Moscow hopes that the political process to resolve the Syrian conflict will start as scheduled in January 2016. “Our Western partners have put some formats on ice”, he said, referring to venues such as the NATO-Russia Council. Only then can Syrian rebels and the government of Bashar Assad attack ISIS instead of each other.

“If we want peace, we have to find a way of getting along with Assad, at least in a transition period….”

Russian Federation has its own interests, wanting to keep its small naval facility at Tartous on the Mediterranean and remaining a player in greater Mideast affairs.

Meeting in Vienna the day after Friday night’s Paris attacks, Russia, the United States and powers from Europe and the Middle East agreed on a two-year timeline leading to Syrian national elections that left many questions unresolved.

The U.S. has been leading a coalition of nations carrying out airstrikes against the militants in Syria and Iraq for more than a year.

Mr. Putin held separate discussions with leaders of Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on October 11 to discuss Syria, said officials briefed on the diplomacy.

Another said it would be a deal-breaker if the US tries to make Assad’s ouster a precondition for an agreement on concerted action in Syria.