With Islamic State targeted, what happens to Syria’s Assad?

But Obama insisted Syrians would not accept Assad staying in power, after a brutal civil war that has seen his regime carry out indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

As for the outcomes of the newest spherical of talks over the future of Syria in Vienna on November 14, he stated that any timetable for the political settlement of the Syrian battle might be put into follow provided that a ceasefire goes into impact there.

After weeks of accusing Moscow of trying to prop up Syrian President Bashar Assad by bombing U.S.-backed rebels, Obama changed his tune on Wednesday, praising Putin as a “constructive partner” in a nascent diplomatic effort to resolve Syria’s civil war.

“If the French government is not serious in its fight against terrorism, we will not waste our time collaborating with a country, government or an institution that supports terrorism”, the Syrian president told the magazine Valeurs Actuelles on Saturday.

The young Canadian premier reiterated that he would fulfill his campaign pledge to end his country’s limited air campaign against Islamic State, but that they would do “more than its part to defend against” the militant group, including an increased deployment of forces to train local fighters.

Since the Paris killings, Islamic State in Syria has come under heavier bombardment.

A US-led air coalition has been waging an air war against IS for more than a year, with French strikes in Syria beginning in September.

“In recent years, Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and other extremist groups have organized the operations of the so-called “pipeline on wheels” on the territories they control”, Russian General Staff spokesman Colonel General Andrey Kartapolov said.

Spain’s foreign minister pleaded on Wednesday in favour of engaging with Assad to deal with the terror threat in Europe.

According to Obama, it is unimaginable that Syria’s civil war could be stopped without Assad leaving power.

Russian Federation maintains an important naval base in the Alawite-dominated region of Tartus in Syria. But he also said, “we are still working through with Russian Federation and Iran the question of Assad and his role”.

Secretary of State John Kerry said last week that it’s a “non-starter” to expect the Syrian opposition to agree to Assad’s leadership.