U.S. says Assad must go, timing down to negotiation

[IceWizard]

Sat Sep 19, 2015 | 8:24 AM EDT
By Lesley Wroughton

LONDON (Reuters) -
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has to go but the timing of his departure should be decided through negotiation.

Speaking after talks with British Foreign
Secretary Philip Hammond in London, Kerry
called on Russia and Iran to use their influence
over Assad to convince him to negotiate a
political transition.

Kerry said the United States welcomed Russia's involvement in tackling the Islamic State in Syria but a worsening refugee crisis
underscored the need to find a compromise
that could also lead to political change in the
country.

"We need to get to the negotiation. That is what we're looking for and we hope Russia and Iran, and any other countries with influence, will help to bring about that, because that's what is preventing this crisis from ending," said Kerry. "We're prepared to negotiate. Is Assad prepared to negotiate, really negotiate? Is Russia prepared to bring him to the table?"

Russia's buildup at Syria's Latakia airbase has
raised the possibility of air combat missions in
Syrian airspace.

Heavy Russian equipment, including tanks, helicopters and naval infantry forces, have been moved to Latakia, U.S. officials say.

Kerry said of Assad's removal: "For the last
year and a half we have said Assad has to go,
but how long and what the modality is ...that's a
decision that has to be made in the context of
the Geneva process and negotiation."

Kerry added: "It doesn't have to be on day one
or month one ... there is a process by which all
the parties have to come together and reach
an understanding of how this can best be
achieved."

Kerry said he did not have a specific time frame in mind for Assad to stay. "I just know that the people of Syria have already spoken with their feet. They're leaving Syria."

Hammond, who on Sept. 9 said Britain could
accept Assad staying in place for a transition
period, said Assad could not be part of Syria's
long-term future "but the modality and timing
has to be part of a political solution that allows
us to move forward."

Hammond said the situation in Syria was now
more complicated with Russia's increased
military involvement in the country.

"Because of the Russian engagement the
situation in Syria is becoming more complicated and we need to discuss this as part of a much bigger problem - the migration pressures, the humanitarian crisis in Syria as well as the need to defeat ISIL," he said.

Kerry and Hammond said they also discussed
conflicts in Yemen, Libya and Ukraine.


(Writing by James Davey, editing by Clelia
Oziel)