UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi put it simply: there are only two ways for Syria – a political process or hell.  In other words, he agreed with the Russian position.


As for the opposition, it immediately declared that a non-negotiable precondition for any negotiations must be the departure of Assad (making any thinking person wonder what there would be left to negotiate at this point).

So we have the following dynamic: Assad agrees that the future of Syria should be decided upon in elections, and Assad agrees to negotiate without any pre-conditions.  The opposition reject both the ballot and any negotiations.

I would say that by now only drooling idiots or fundamentally dishonest people could seriously lay the blame for the carnage taking place on Assad.

The Saker