Merkel’s adviser says West should not talk to Syria's AssadNovember 11, 2014 - 17:01 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is to blame for the civil war engulfing his country and the West should not talk to him just because Islamic State (IS) is "even worse", German Chancellor Angela Merkel's foreign policy adviser said on Tuesday, Nov 11, according to Reuters. IS militants have seized swathes of territory in both Syria and Iraq and a U.S.-led coalition is targeting them in air strikes, providing some respite for Assad's forces and prompting some to suggest a possible rapprochement with the president. "(Despite) the fact that maybe now there is an organization - ISIS - that with regard to humanitarian and human rights violations is even worse than Assad, we shouldn't consider Assad now somebody who can be an interlocutor and somebody whom we should work with," said Christoph Heusgen, Merkel's chief adviser on foreign and security policy. ISIS is another name for Islamic State. "We must not forget it is Assad who is to blame for hundreds of thousands of people who have been killed, millions of people who have been misplaced," Heusgen told a conference in Berlin. Heusgen said there was a need for a political solution in Syria involving major regional powers such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, and he also urged Russia to use its influence with the president to end the civil war, which erupted in 2011. "I see the Russian ambassador here (at the conference) and Russia has excellent relations to Assad, providing him with weapons, and I think there is somebody who could talk to him and tell him to come to his senses," Heusgen said. Russia is Assad's biggest backer and has urged Western and Arab governments to engage with him to combat IS. Moscow objects to the U.S.-led strikes on IS targets in Syria, saying they should first be agreed with Assad. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Macron says France commemorates 109th anniv. of Armenian genocide Today France commemorates the 109th anniversary of the Armenian genocide of 1915, Macron says. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. |