Assad: We Are Ready to Negotiate with the U.S.

Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, says he is willing to sit down for negotiations with the United States; these remarks come after Washington expressed a willingness to have a representative of the Syrian government in potential talks aimed at ending the civil war, but emphasized that Bashar al-Assad could never play a role in that. In an interview with CBS's '60 Minutes' program aired on March 26, Assad reacted to recent statements from U.S. officials. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated on March 15 that ultimately, negotiations must take place with Assad. The day after, the U.S. State Department clarified that they did not mean Bashar al-Assad personally, but rather representatives from his government in the political negotiation process. During his interview with CBS, Assad stated, 'What we see now is only words, and nothing specific, no reality, and no truth that indicates the U.S. political approach to our situation.' He added, 'But, as a principle, in Syria, we can say that any negotiation is positive. And we are ready to negotiate with anyone, including the United States, based on mutual respect.' He had previously emphasized in response to John Kerry's remarks that Damascus would wait for 'practical action' from the U.S. Now, in his interview with '60 Minutes,' he stated that there is currently no direct relationship between the Syrian government and the United States. The U.S. has repeatedly emphasized that the way to end the Syrian civil war is through negotiation. The U.S. Secretary of State had stated in January 2014 that anyone who takes charge of a potential transitional phase in the Syrian government must be agreed upon by both the government and the opposition. Washington and Moscow have attempted to establish peace talks in Geneva to find a way to end the violence in Syria, which has resulted in over 210,000 casualties and left millions displaced and as refugees. The Geneva talks have become a site of severe disagreements between representatives of the Syrian government, its opponents, and their supporters. Peace efforts have yet to yield results.