NOVANEWS
“Saudi Arabia has said Iran must accept the removal of President Bashar al-Assad as part of any solution to the conflict in Syria.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir made the remarks as talks among international foreign ministers on the crisis get under way in Vienna.
Iran is for the first time taking part in such talks, which will also include Russia and Turkey.
Russia and Iran both support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
They have both recently stepped up their military role in the conflict.
The US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab nations have long insisted Mr Assad cannot play any long-term role in Syria’s future.
Mr Jubeir told the BBC that there was “no doubt” Mr Assad had to go. “He will go either through a political process or he will be removed by force,” he said.” BBC
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‘Adil Jubair, now sitting in the Saudi FM’s chair has made it clear. SA wants to defeat Iran and Shiism in Syria so that its long term project of re-Sunnifying the Levant can be fulfilled.
The Obama Administration meekly follows that line so as to please its real masters in the region. Can one doubt that these are Israel and Saudi Arabia?
At Vienna the US is busy testing Russian and Iranian willingness to surrender Syria to the Israelis and SA. My guess is that this will be a saddening experience for Kerry, and yet another frustrated hope for a Nobel. Ah, well he might still get it for the Iran nuclear deal.
Word from the field indicates that pro-government forces have cleared the LOC to Aleppo. Irony of ironies, a Palestinian militia unit is said to have participated in this operation.
