Assad proposes gradual steps to end Syria violence

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has suggested ending Syria's conflict on a step-by-step basis, starting with districts that have seen the worst violence, international mediator Kofi Annan told a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

¬snip¬

He said Assad had suggested "building an approach from the ground up in some of the districts where we have extreme violence - to try and contain the violence in those districts and, step by step, build up and end the violence across the country".

Annan, who represents the United Nations and the Arab League, said he needed to discuss the proposal with the Syrian opposition and could not give further details.

¬snip¬

Meanwhile Syria's major ally Russia proposed what sounded like an alternative to the Western-backed, anti-Assad "Friends of Syria" forum, with an offer to visiting Syrian opposition groups to host regular meetings of Annan's "action group" of countries, which is more balanced between pro- and anti-Assad influences.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/10/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8610SH20120710

[Iggy]

1. Baby Steps, eh?

so he has more time to _kill_ everyone who opposes him?

Great. this guy will end up killing more people than his butcher father

[Javaman]

2. what a disingenuous bastard. nt

[Gary 50]

3. The first step should be Assad dancing at the end of a rope.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. And what's the next step?

Mass explusion/genocide of the Alawites?

[davidpdx]

4. The slaughter continues

Meanwhile China and Russia are sitting on their hands so they can continue to sell to Assad.

[David__77]

6. The armed opposition isn't interested in peace.

Only is regime change. There can only be a military solution in that situation. The most extreme elements would have to be neutralized in order for a political process to emerge.

[Odin2005]

7. LOL!

[David__77]

10. As it was with Afghanistan in the 80s...

It was reactionaries like Hekmatyar who refused to even talk to the ruling Afghan government - his forces were too busy destroying schools and government building, and conducting summary killings. Today, Syria stand is facing similar enemies, and it is not even occupied by foreigners.

The US can repeat its folly of supporting hardcore religious reactionaries against a secular state, but I hope it does not. The US spend enough fortune building up a network of international terrorism over the past decades.

The Salafists are incomparably worse than Bashar al-Assad.

[arewenotdemo]

12. I completely agree

Obama's policy regarding Libya and Syria has been disconcerting, to say the least.

And releasing the Clinton pit-bull to threaten Russia and China is simply beyond the pale.

Someone should ask Clinton...or Obama...if female genital mutilation is "progress" and a "legitimate aspiration of the Syrian people".

[Odin2005]

8. This butcher can take the first step and kill himself.

[may3rd]

9. The Syrian resistance won't even phone in their reply to Annan

Just a hunch the answer is
"NO DEAL"

[riderinthestorm]

11. This is progress (not that the DUers baying for Assad blood will recognize it)

Assad's statement is a breakthrough in the negotiations. Maybe there's hope?!