Germany terms Assad’s departure vital to Syria solution

BERLIN

Germany’s Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has said that a long-term political solution to the civil war in Syria requires President Bashar al-Assad’s departure.

“Al-Assad cannot be a part of long-term solution in Syria,” Von der Leyen said in an interview with Berliner Morgenpost daily Monday.

“But if we want to contain and put an end to the civil-war in Iraq and especially in Syria, then the international community should come together with all different forces, which can have a moderating or triggering influence on the war, from outside or inside,” she said.

Her remarks came as U.S. and Russia began a dialogue on Syria, and Western countries appeared to relax their attitude to the regime’s immediate removal as part of a peace deal.

Role of Russia, regional powers

Von der Leyen highlighted the need for a new dialogue on Syria involving regional powers.

“A permanent solution can only be reached together with the powers which have influence in the region. Without doubt, this includes Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but also Russia and Iran. These countries have completely different interests,” she said.

Von der Leyen argued that despite their differences, regional powers share the will to fight Daesh.

“We should find a minimum consensus between these countries, the EU and the U.S., on whom we would like to provide support and with whom we are going to fight,” she said.

Also, the German defense minister welcomed Russia’s move towards a military engagement against Daesh.

“If Russia wants to take part in the fight against Daesh and wants to use its influence for achieving a durable solution, I think that this is something positive,” she said.

Opposition calls for active German policy

Germany’s opposition Green Party Co-Chairman Cem Ozdemir called on Chancellor Angela Merkel to take a more active role as a mediator in the Syria conflict, and said Germany could host an international peace conference in Berlin, bringing all conflict parties together.

Ozdemir backed possible talks with the al-Assad regime but ruled out the Syrian president’s role in Syria’s future.

“It should be clear that al-Assad cannot be a part of new government in Syria. One cannot legitimize the continued crimes of al-Assad,” Ozdemir said in an interview with the daily, Rheinische Zeitung.

“One should not forget that al-Assad has led a war against his own people. The terror group IS [Daesh] has also grown stronger through this brutal dictator,” he said.

The Syrian civil war has claimed more than 250,000 lives since 2011, according to the UN, and created a security vacuum that paved the way for extremist groups such as Daesh to gain a foothold in the region.

Al-Assad regime has been accused of killing tens of thousands of Syrians with indiscriminate aerial bombings, including those carried out by using toxic chemicals and barrel bombs.