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| Assad is defiant ahead of peace discussion scheduled for Monday in Moscow | Assad is defiant ahead of peace discussion scheduled for Monday in Moscow |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| BEIRUT — Syria’s president has played down expectations for a breakthrough during what have been billed as preliminary peace talks for ending his country’s civil war that were scheduled to begin Monday in Moscow. | |
| In a defiant interview published Monday in Foreign Affairs magazine, Bashar al-Assad describes the Russia-led gathering as mere “preparations” rather than full-fledged talks for ending a conflict that has killed an estimated 220,000 people, wounded more than a million and displaced nearly half of Syria’s population. | In a defiant interview published Monday in Foreign Affairs magazine, Bashar al-Assad describes the Russia-led gathering as mere “preparations” rather than full-fledged talks for ending a conflict that has killed an estimated 220,000 people, wounded more than a million and displaced nearly half of Syria’s population. |
| He also calls rebels who are backed by Western and Arab countries “puppets” in comments that cast further doubt over the Russian initiative, which many opposition groups, including the Turkey-based National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, have vowed to boycott. | He also calls rebels who are backed by Western and Arab countries “puppets” in comments that cast further doubt over the Russian initiative, which many opposition groups, including the Turkey-based National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, have vowed to boycott. |
| Those who are boycotting the meeting said that the opposition figures in attendance are little more than mildly critical loyalists of the Assad government. | Those who are boycotting the meeting said that the opposition figures in attendance are little more than mildly critical loyalists of the Assad government. |
| Even the special United Nations envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, would not be attending, his office confirmed. He has proposed his own plan for ending the conflict, which involves implementing local “freezes” in fighting between government and rebel forces. | Even the special United Nations envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, would not be attending, his office confirmed. He has proposed his own plan for ending the conflict, which involves implementing local “freezes” in fighting between government and rebel forces. |
| “What is going on in Moscow is not negotiations about the solution; it’s only preparations for the conference,” the Syrian president told the U.S. magazine, adding that he’s dismissive of negotiations with any group that he considers to be a “puppet of Qatar or Saudi Arabia or any Western country.” | “What is going on in Moscow is not negotiations about the solution; it’s only preparations for the conference,” the Syrian president told the U.S. magazine, adding that he’s dismissive of negotiations with any group that he considers to be a “puppet of Qatar or Saudi Arabia or any Western country.” |
| The four-day initiative is a result of weeks of diplomacy by Russia, which has joined Iran in aiding the Assad regime with money and weaponry against an uprising that began in 2011. The initiative has received tentative backing from U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who earlier this month said he hoped the Russian efforts “could be helpful.” | The four-day initiative is a result of weeks of diplomacy by Russia, which has joined Iran in aiding the Assad regime with money and weaponry against an uprising that began in 2011. The initiative has received tentative backing from U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who earlier this month said he hoped the Russian efforts “could be helpful.” |
| The Russian initiative follows the collapse last year of two rounds of U.S.-sponsored peace talks held in Geneva. Mohammed Sabra, who represented the opposition in those talks, said that the Moscow meetings are an attempt by world powers – including the United States – to conspire to keep Assad “in power longer.” | |
| “Not a single person who represented the opposition in Geneva is attending this meeting,” he said by telephone. | “Not a single person who represented the opposition in Geneva is attending this meeting,” he said by telephone. |
| Groups like the Syrian National Coalition have lost credibility among backers in the West and the Arab world, in part because they lack influence among rebels groups inside Syria. | Groups like the Syrian National Coalition have lost credibility among backers in the West and the Arab world, in part because they lack influence among rebels groups inside Syria. |
| Analysts said Kerry’s comments suggest a shift in U.S. policy away from calling on Assad to step down as part of a solution to the Syrian crisis. That shift, the analyst said, appears to be driven by rising concern in Washington over the ascendancy of radical groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda’s wing in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, which have wrested control of significant amounts of Syrian territory from moderate rebel groups. | Analysts said Kerry’s comments suggest a shift in U.S. policy away from calling on Assad to step down as part of a solution to the Syrian crisis. That shift, the analyst said, appears to be driven by rising concern in Washington over the ascendancy of radical groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda’s wing in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, which have wrested control of significant amounts of Syrian territory from moderate rebel groups. |
| The United States leads a coalition of countries that has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria as well as Iraq against the Islamic State. To the dismay of Syrian rebels, that coalition does not target Assad regime forces. | |
| In a significant victory for the coalition and their Kurdish partners, Kurdish fighters announced Monday that they had ousted Islamic State militants from the key Syrian border town of Kobani after a four-month fight, according to the Associated Press. | |
| A senior U.S. official said the Kurds controlled most of the town and have consolidated control, particularly in the central and southern areas, the AP report said. The official said Islamic State militants still have a considerable presence in outlying areas around Kobani and are still putting up stiff resistance to the Kurds in those pockets outside it. | |
| On Monday, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, also sought to lower expectations of a breakthrough at the four-day meeting. At a news conference, the Associated Press reported, he said that these “are not talks; it is a meeting.” He added that the first phase of the discussions would be held among opposition figures, who would then form “common approaches toward talks with the government.” | On Monday, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, also sought to lower expectations of a breakthrough at the four-day meeting. At a news conference, the Associated Press reported, he said that these “are not talks; it is a meeting.” He added that the first phase of the discussions would be held among opposition figures, who would then form “common approaches toward talks with the government.” |
| It was unclear exactly which figures who say they are representing the opposition would be attending. | It was unclear exactly which figures who say they are representing the opposition would be attending. |
| Citing comments by Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, Syria’s state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported that 28 unspecified opposition representatives would be in attendance. Those figures could meet in the Russian capital Wednesday with Syrian government officials, the news agency reported. | Citing comments by Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, Syria’s state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported that 28 unspecified opposition representatives would be in attendance. Those figures could meet in the Russian capital Wednesday with Syrian government officials, the news agency reported. |
| A spokeswoman for de Mistura confirmed that someone else from the U.N. envoy’s office would attend the Moscow talks. Earlier this month, de Mistura welcomed the Russian peace efforts as a “serious initiative.” | A spokeswoman for de Mistura confirmed that someone else from the U.N. envoy’s office would attend the Moscow talks. Earlier this month, de Mistura welcomed the Russian peace efforts as a “serious initiative.” |
| “The office of the special envoy has not been involved in the preparations and invitations for this” meeting in Russia, said a Juliette S. Touma, spokeswoman for the de Mistura. | “The office of the special envoy has not been involved in the preparations and invitations for this” meeting in Russia, said a Juliette S. Touma, spokeswoman for the de Mistura. |
| In his interview with Foreign Affairs, Assad expresses apparent desire for cooperation with the U.S-led coalition that targets the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, saying that “potential is definitely always there.” But he faults Washington for a lack of seriousness in fighting extremists, alleging that it has not pressured Turkey to stop funneling aid to radicals inside Syria. | In his interview with Foreign Affairs, Assad expresses apparent desire for cooperation with the U.S-led coalition that targets the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, saying that “potential is definitely always there.” But he faults Washington for a lack of seriousness in fighting extremists, alleging that it has not pressured Turkey to stop funneling aid to radicals inside Syria. |
| “Did the United States put any pressure on Turkey to stop the support of al-Qaeda? They didn’t; they haven’t,” he says. | “Did the United States put any pressure on Turkey to stop the support of al-Qaeda? They didn’t; they haven’t,” he says. |
| In the interview, Assad also describes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — a harsh critic of the Syrian president — as “very fanatical” and a leader who “supports ISIS.” | In the interview, Assad also describes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — a harsh critic of the Syrian president — as “very fanatical” and a leader who “supports ISIS.” |
| Both ISIS and ISIL are acronyms for the Islamic State. | Both ISIS and ISIL are acronyms for the Islamic State. |
| Sam Alrefaie contributed to this report. | Sam Alrefaie contributed to this report. |