‘Regime change path to bloodshed’ – Churkin to RT [video]
Russia Today
February 7, 2012
In the light of recent UN Security Council fallouts, RT spoke to Russia’s ambassador to the body, Vitaly Churkin.
He says that piling pressure only on the Assad regime gives unilateral advantages to the rebels, who are also to blame for inciting violence in Syria.
And while Russia made mediation efforts in Syria, some nations sought to further isolate the Arab country, by withdrawing their ambassadors en masse.
President of the Arab Lawyers’ Association, Sabah al-Mukhtar, they are just careless about the bloodshed.
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‘Hysteria’ over Russia veto after West jumps the gun at UN [video]
Russia Today
February 7, 2012
Russia and China are facing a barrage of criticism from some Western and Arab states for their decision to block the latest UN resolution on Syria. Moscow has already dubbed the reaction ‘hysterical’, saying the resolution took a biased approach to resolving the civil conflict. RT’s Sara Firth was in Syria when the diplomatic showdown began.
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Video: Huge crowds welcome Russia FM Lavrov in Syria
Russia Today
February 7, 2012
Syria could get another chance at a diplomatic escape route from its continuing political crisis, as it hosts a Russian delegation. A last-ditch delegation to Damascus bearing a personal message for Bashar al-Assad from President Medvedev has been welcomed by thousands of people lining the streets of the Syrian capital.
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Destination dialogue: Russia eager for negotiations in Syria [video included]
Russia Today
February 7, 2012
The visit of a Russian delegation to Damascus has raised hopes of talks between the Assad government and the opposition. Experts say Moscow is eager for negotiations in Syria, while the West is only interested in toppling the government.
Richard Heydarian, a Manila-based foreign affairs analyst, has told RT that Russia will put a lot of pressure on the Assad regime for any kind of resolution of the problem. He believes the Russians feared that the UN draft resolution, if accepted, could become a pretext for some sort of military intervention. Moscow, he said, will do its best to solve the crisis.
“What Russia will try to do right now is use all kinds of leverage and influence it has on Bashar Assad and the Syrian regime, to make sure there will be a political process which will [ensure] a smooth transition, perhaps, towards a post-authoritarian scenario,” Heydarian concluded.
Jeremy Salt, associate professor of Middle Eastern history and politics at Bilkent University in Turkey, thinks that the interests of many countries are intersecting in Syria at the moment.
“Part of the problem in Syria is that there are too many different agendas: the Western agenda, the Saudi agenda which is shared by Qatar.”
“But they all converge at one point,” he explained. “They want to remove the Syrian government. Their cause is bringing down the Syrian government. It is not really reform – it is about destroying the Assad government.”
Salt says the Western powers are interested not in promoting dialogue but in prolonging the crisis in the country, while Russia and China are pushing diplomacy in Syria because they cannot allow a Libyan or Iraqi scenario to take place.
At the same time China’s and Russia’s interests in Syria are different, Professor Simon Shen from the Chinese University of Hong Kong explained to RT.
“Unlike Russia, China doesn’t have any particular interest in [Syria]. However, as for the region on the whole, China is very concerned with the regular supply of oil. That, basically, is number one priority in Chinese foreign policy,” he told RT.
“But Syria is not just Syria. From a Chinese prospective, [the situation around this country creates problems] for Iran, because if Syria falls, then probably, the next target will be Iran – and China had expressed very clearly that it doesn’t want any new hurdles to be placed upon Iran in terms of its oil export,” Shen explained.
source: http://rt.com/news/russia-promotes-dialogue-syria-727/
CrossTalk: Syrious Rebels [video]
Russia Today
February 1, 2012
Will the international community resort to force in Syria? What if Assad stays in power for much longer than most experts predict? And will Syrians be able to topple the Assad government without foreign interference? Is Syria the next Libya or will it follow its own unique path? CrossTalking with Marwa Daoudy, Maximilian Forte and David Pollock on Feb. 1.
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‘Assad, you’ll die like Gaddafi’: Rebels want off with Syria head [video]
Russia Today
January 31, 2012
Syria’s opposition have made a chilling pledge to the country’s leader. They have vowed President Bashar Al Assad and his family will be killed like Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, saying he’s lost the chance of a peaceful exit. Fierce battles between government forces and rebel fighters are raging on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. RT’s Sara Firth is in the city now.
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‘Saudi-funded jihad targets Syria as last secular Arab state’ [video]
Russia Today
January 31, 2012
The dust has still not settled in the suburbs of Damascus, which in recent days has seen some of the fiercest fighting, claiming scores of lives. And as the unrest runs high, Moscow has offered itself as a stage for dialogue between the regime and the opposition, who are currently rejecting talks with President Assad. The idea of the Syrian opposition dancing to the foreign drum is shared by John R. Bradley, author of the book ‘After the Arab Spring’. He says NATO members are committed to toppling the regime to make Iran their next target.
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