Ousting Syrian President Would Be ‘Wrong’ – Senior Russian MP

(RIA Novosti – February 13, 2013)

Russia will not agree to the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad, chairman of the State Duma Committee for International Affairs Aleksey Pushkov said at a news conference in Moscow on 13 February. He also pointed out that Russia’s position on Syria remained the same, while the West’s position was shifting in recognition of some of Moscow’s arguments.

“The Americans want us to use our influence to make Al-Asad leave. I don’t think we’ll go for this because we consider it to be wrong. But we are ready to use our influence to start a negotiation process,” said Pushkov, as reported by the news agency RIA Novosti.

Commenting on the US position on Syria, Pushkov said it was becoming, in some respects, closer to that of Russia. He said: “There is one aspect where our American friends are starting to shift to our position… In particular, they have admitted that a collapse of the governance structure in Syria is fraught with most negative consequences, and it is not the rebels who have the governance structure in Syria. The Americans have realized that if suddenly everything collapses, we will get another Afghanistan.”

The USA also admitted that rebel forces in Syria were joined by radical Islamist forces, some of whom had links with international terrorist organizations, which could threaten Christians, Shi’is and other minorities in Syria, RIA Novosti quoted Pushkov as saying.

“Therefore it seems to me that it is not us who are shifting our positions, it is the West who is shifting towards accepting our arguments. One topic remains, that Al-Asad should go, then there will be negotiations. We will not agree to this approach, and, most importantly, the government of Syria will not agree to it,” he concluded.

“Al-Asad will defend himself to the end. He has no choice. He still controls the army, the special services. I think that Al-Asad could regain control of the country but for the massive financial, organizational support and arms supplies from abroad,” Pushkov said, as reported by Interfax news agency from the same news conference. “Al-Asad is right when he says that we are fighting an international conspiracy,” Pushkov added.

According to Pushkov, external involvement forms a serious element of the Syrian crisis as “it creates a situation of a bloody equilibrium, when the opposition cannot significantly expand their positions… while the government cannot regain full control of the country”, the Interfax report said.