JEDDAH: Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir says if the Syrian political process fails, Bashar Assad will have to be removed “by force.”
“I believe Assad is weak and I believe Assad is finished,” he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview in Munich, Germany.
“Assad will leave — have no doubt about it. He will either leave by a political process or he will be removed by force,” he said.
“We will push as much as we can to ensure that the political process works. But if it doesn’t work, it will be because of the obstinacy of the Syrian regime and that of its allies,” he said.
“And should that prove to be the case, then it becomes clear that there is no option to remove Assad except by force.” Al-Jubeir reacted to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s statements about having good ties with Saudi Arabia with mock incredulity.
“I find it comic that the foreign minister of the country that is single-handedly responsible for the mischief in the region for the past 35 years would say this,” he said.
“It is Iran that has mobilized sectarian militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan to support this dictator, not Saudi Arabia,” Al-Jubeir said, referring to Assad.
“Iran is our neighbor,” he said. “But neighbors have to live with each other based on the principle of good neighborliness. And the principle of non-interference in the affairs of others.”
Saudi Arabia is prepared to contribute ground troops to the fight in Syria, but only as part of a US-led coalition, he said.
“We are saying we will participate within the US-led coalition, should this coalition decide to send ground troops into Syria. We are prepared to send special forces with those troops,” he said.
Asked whether America was doing enough to help bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria, Al-Jubeir said they are “playing a role” in the political process, in supporting the opposition, and helping Syria’s neighbors.
Whether that is enough, he said “is for the Americans to decide.”
He added: “From my perspective no country, including Saudi Arabia, can play a big enough role.”
“I believe Assad is weak and I believe Assad is finished,” he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview in Munich, Germany.
“Assad will leave — have no doubt about it. He will either leave by a political process or he will be removed by force,” he said.
“We will push as much as we can to ensure that the political process works. But if it doesn’t work, it will be because of the obstinacy of the Syrian regime and that of its allies,” he said.
“And should that prove to be the case, then it becomes clear that there is no option to remove Assad except by force.” Al-Jubeir reacted to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s statements about having good ties with Saudi Arabia with mock incredulity.
“I find it comic that the foreign minister of the country that is single-handedly responsible for the mischief in the region for the past 35 years would say this,” he said.
“It is Iran that has mobilized sectarian militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan to support this dictator, not Saudi Arabia,” Al-Jubeir said, referring to Assad.
“Iran is our neighbor,” he said. “But neighbors have to live with each other based on the principle of good neighborliness. And the principle of non-interference in the affairs of others.”
Saudi Arabia is prepared to contribute ground troops to the fight in Syria, but only as part of a US-led coalition, he said.
“We are saying we will participate within the US-led coalition, should this coalition decide to send ground troops into Syria. We are prepared to send special forces with those troops,” he said.
Asked whether America was doing enough to help bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria, Al-Jubeir said they are “playing a role” in the political process, in supporting the opposition, and helping Syria’s neighbors.
Whether that is enough, he said “is for the Americans to decide.”
He added: “From my perspective no country, including Saudi Arabia, can play a big enough role.”
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