Hezbollah leader: political dialogue only solution to Syrian crisis

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said Friday, March 30 the regime of Syria’s embattled President Bashar Assad will stay in place after the options of military intervention and arming the Syrian opposition have been abandoned.

Nasrallah also indirectly called on the opposition March 14 parties to reassess their wagers on the collapse of the Assad regime. He reiterated that only a political solution worked out through dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition can end the yearlong turmoil in Syria.

“The issue of bringing down the [Syrian] regime through a military option is over. This matter was manifested in the international and regional situation. There is a retreat in the international position which has been influenced by the situation on the battlefield [in Syria],” Nasrallah said, referring to recent military successes achieved by government troops against rebel soldiers in a number of Syrian cities, including the rebel stronghold of Homs.

“The armed opposition is unable to topple the regime. This matter is clear. It can occupy a village but regular troops would return to retake it,” Nasrallah said. “Betting on bringing down the regime by military means is a losing bet entailing heavy costs,” The Daily Star reported.