Spokesman Eric Schultz said such treatment was at odds with Russia's stated goal of helping to arrange a political transition in Syria.
“We view the red-carpet welcome for Assad, who has used chemical weapons against his own people, at odds with the stated goal by the Russians for a political transition in Syria,” Schultz said.
U.S. officials said they were not surprised by the Assad visit to Moscow, even though the Kremlin kept it a secret.
Assad returned home Wednesday from what was believed to have been his first overseas trip since 2011, when peaceful protests against his government began to grow into today's civil war. The fighting so far has killed at least 240,000 people. Many of the victims have been civilians.
Assad held talks at the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He thanked Putin for Russia's intervention, saying it had stopped the spread of more "terrorism" in Syria. "Terrorists" is the word Assad uses to refer to the rebels.
Russia entered the war in Syria three weeks ago with the stated intent of destroying Islamic State. But the U.S. has said Russian airstrikes have instead hit other rebel groups and are actually meant to prop up Assad.
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine told VOA on Wednesday that Syria was a Russian "client state" and that Assad believed he could not survive without Putin's support.
Another Republican, Colorado's Corey Gardner, said Putin was now also directly responsible for any murderous attacks Assad unleashes on Syrian civilians.............http://www.voanews.com/content/assad-putin-discuss-syria-campaign-in-moscow-talks/3016465.html
21/10/15
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The White House has strongly condemned a visit to Moscow by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad....
ReplyDeleteA spokesman criticised Russia for putting on a "red carpet welcome".
The Syrian leader's trip on Tuesday came three weeks after Russia began air strikes in Syria against Islamic State militants and other forces.
It was Mr Assad's first overseas trip since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011. The conflict has claimed more than a quarter of a million lives.
On Thursday, a team of Russian MPs is due to meet President Assad and the head of the Syrian parliament in Damascus.
While in Moscow, Mr Assad made a point of expressing his gratitude for Russia's military intervention in the conflict.
He said Russia's involvement had stopped "terrorism" becoming "more widespread and harmful" in Syria.
For his part, Mr Putin said Moscow's hope was that a "long-term resolution can be achieved on the basis of a political process with the participation of all political forces, ethnic and religious groups"..............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34595409
United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura welcomed the Tuesday talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad, which come amid international efforts to bring the civil war in Syria to an end, de Mistura’s spokeswoman told RIA Novosti...
ReplyDelete"The UN has always promoted a political settlement in Syria. Any effort towards this end is welcomed by the Special Envoy. He clearly understands that this issue was discussed," Jessy Chahine said.
Assad made an unannounced visit to Moscow on Tuesday, during which he had talks with Putin. The two leaders discussed the continuation of the operation by Russia's Aerospace Forces and Syria's Army against Islamic State (ISIL) radicals in Syria and efforts aimed at ending the four-year Syrian civil war.......http://sptnkne.ws/WuF