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Syria: How to Advance Transition to a Post-Assad Future

(BICOM-UK) Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Michael Herzog - Western powers calling for Assad to go are relatively passive in supporting the Syrian opposition. With Assad unwilling to negotiate his own departure and the bulk of the opposition unwilling to negotiate any solution with him, the Annan Plan has little prospect for success and a plan B is required. The Assad regime's departure would deal a serious blow to the Iranian-led axis and encourage those in the region standing up to repression. To maximize the chances of Assad's departure, while minimizing risks, European powers along with the U.S. should adopt a more proactive policy through: significantly increased support for the opposition; further isolation of the regime; continuing to seek Russia's cooperation, while realizing that the more inevitable the fall of the regime looks, the more likely Russia is to engage in a process to replace it. The writer is a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2012-07-13 00:00:00
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