Syrian opponents and experts stressed that the crisis in Syria cannot be resolved without toppling the regime of Bashar al-Assad, establishing a civil state, and holding free and fair elections. In an electronic seminar organized by the Paris-based Center for Arab-European Studies and moderated from Amman, they warned against the political maneuvers of the Assad regime to solve the crisis in Syria, considering it an attempt to gain more time to survive and continue bloodshed in Syria.
Former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam expressed his belief that no settlement can solve the crisis in Syria, whether regional or international, and stressed that the solution is to overthrow the regime by the Syrian people. Khaddam asked, “How can anyone accept a settlement of the crisis in the presence of this bloody regime that has displaced millions of Syrians and killed about one hundred thousand?” He pointed out that the only solution to the crisis in Syria is to overthrow the regime, establish a civil state, and hold free elections.
For his part, the Chief of Staff of the Free Syrian Army, General Salim Idris, said that “there are currently rumors circulating to promote a settlement of the Syrian crisis.” He expressed his belief that a political settlement of the crisis may be possible if Russia puts pressure on Iran, the main supporter of the Assad regime. He added that the settlement carries the conditions for the removal of Bashar al-Assad and bringing the leaders of the regular army, whose hands are stained with the blood of Syrians, to trial. Idris pointed out that the goal of the settlement is to preserve the rest of Syria after Assad has destroyed many of the country’s capabilities. However, he said, “I personally do not trust the political maneuvers of the Assad regime, whose goal of the settlement is to gain more time to survive.”
