SYRIA

HAASS Mr Secretary I ░░░░░░░░ to get back to ░░░░░░░░ question of where we ░░░░░░░░ with Russia They are ░░░░░░░░ along with Iran doubling ░░░░░░░░ on support for Bashar ░░░░░░░░ Assad What chance do ░░░░░░░░ think you have with ░░░░░░░░ counterpart Sergey Lavrov to ░░░░░░░░ say Okay we ll ░░░░░░░░ it your way for ░░░░░░░░ six months double down ░░░░░░░░ if and we think ░░░░░░░░ that doesn t work ░░░░░░░░ we ve got to ░░░░░░░░ find a post Assad ░░░░░░░░ leader who s willing ░░░░░░░░ work with the Sunnis ░░░░░░░░ But I don t ░░░░░░░░ it s a question ░░░░░░░░ quote us finding I ░░░░░░░░ that s one of ░░░░░░░░ basic premises here We ░░░░░░░░ to create a process ░░░░░░░░ has legitimacy for the ░░░░░░░░ of Syria And we ░░░░░░░░ to have a process ░░░░░░░░ the Russians and the ░░░░░░░░ and the neighbors all ░░░░░░░░ them Saudis Turks Qataris ░░░░░░░░ very complicated brew that ░░░░░░░░ have to bring them ░░░░░░░░ and they can find ░░░░░░░░ That s the fundamental ░░░░░░░░ of the Geneva Communique ░░░░░░░░ you will have by ░░░░░░░░ consent a process of ░░░░░░░░ Now yesterday I had ░░░░░░░░ chance to talk with ░░░░░░░░ Putin at the end ░░░░░░░░ the meeting and he ░░░░░░░░ I mean he said ░░░░░░░░ me very directly I ░░░░░░░░ think about that I ░░░░░░░░ think about this challenge ░░░░░░░░ how we win Look ░░░░░░░░ is not easy for ░░░░░░░░ Everybody says Oh Putin ░░░░░░░░ made a big move ░░░░░░░░ Putin is there now ░░░░░░░░ if he wants to ░░░░░░░░ ISIL alone that s ░░░░░░░░ challenge folks And if ░░░░░░░░ does fight ISIL alone ░░░░░░░░ does it work out ░░░░░░░░ Russia to have sided ░░░░░░░░ Assad sided with Iran ░░░░░░░░ with Hizballah when they ░░░░░░░░ trying to reach out ░░░░░░░░ the rest of the ░░░░░░░░ world in the region ░░░░░░░░ s not a good ░░░░░░░░ for Russia And moreover ░░░░░░░░ if it were it ░░░░░░░░ t work to end ░░░░░░░░ violence because the Sunni ░░░░░░░░ will never accept Assad ░░░░░░░░ Look this revolution began ░░░░░░░░ young people in Syria ░░░░░░░░ because they wanted a ░░░░░░░░ They wanted opportunity education ░░░░░░░░ so forth They went ░░░░░░░░ and they did it ░░░░░░░░ came out and beat ░░░░░░░░ up The parents got ░░░░░░░░ that the thugs beat ░░░░░░░░ kids up and they ░░░░░░░░ out and demonstrated and ░░░░░░░░ were met with bullets ░░░░░░░░ were killed That s ░░░░░░░░ this began And Assad ░░░░░░░░ made a series of ░░░░░░░░ ever since then that ░░░░░░░░ literally destroying his country ░░░░░░░░ quarters of his country ░░░░░░░░ displaced It s in ░░░░░░░░ it s in Lebanon ░░░░░░░░ s in Turkey and ░░░░░░░░ the desert The threat ░░░░░░░░ that those people in ░░░░░░░░ desert and others could ░░░░░░░░ the next acolytes of ░░░░░░░░ if we don t ░░░░░░░░ a way to join ░░░░░░░░ to go after ISIL ░░░░░░░░ if Russia is there ░░░░░░░░ fighting them guess what ░░░░░░░░ becomes the target and ░░░░░░░░ starts seeing who knows ░░░░░░░░ will find their way ░░░░░░░░ there airplanes will fall ░░░░░░░░ of the sky They ░░░░░░░░ become vilified They ll ░░░░░░░░ the new magnet together ░░░░░░░░ Assad for the jihadis ░░░░░░░░ the threat is jihadism ░░░░░░░░ it is and the ░░░░░░░░ is the destruction of ░░░░░░░░ so that all of ░░░░░░░░ refugees are swamping into ░░░░░░░░ and changing the whole ░░░░░░░░ and politics of Europe ░░░░░░░░ is the time to ░░░░░░░░ to find a way ░░░░░░░░ And as I said ░░░░░░░░ the beginning if Assad ░░░░░░░░ could save this whole ░░░░░░░░ by saying I will ░░░░░░░░ in a managed transition ░░░░░░░░ we all work together ░░░░░░░░ stabilize the government save ░░░░░░░░ institutions of government and ░░░░░░░░ on ISIL and preserve ░░░░░░░░ That could happen It ░░░░░░░░ depends on one man ░░░░░░░░ Russia and Iran should ░░░░░░░░ be so stubborn here ░░░░░░░░ they tie this whole ░░░░░░░░ up simply because of ░░░░░░░░ person.”