President Assad Could Face Exile In Russia

[naomi24]

....and the West's plan to tackle Isis in Syria.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/g7-summit-president-assad-could-face-exile-in-russia-and-the-wests-plan-to-tackle-isis-in-syria-10305824.html

A possible solution on the horizon?

[sandyRoe]

I think it was a great mistake to force tyrants whose tenure in office had run out to seek refuge in uncongenial places. Amin in dusty Saudi Arabia comes to mind.
If the tradition of discreet, but luxurious, havens of the shores of Lake Geneva was reestablished despots might not try to cling on to power.

[ichkeria]

Uncongenial place Sandy?
He'll end up in an exclusive Moscow suburb in a posh house with all he could want (having been allowed to bring a sizeable amount in cash with him first) As long as he doesn't mind sharing a neighbourhood with other murderous dictators like Yanukovych.
Then there'll be the dacha on the Black Sea and who knows maybe even a place in Crimea.
I bet he can't wait

[sandyRoe]

Ah, I was thinking of the Russia the common man occupies. Like everywhere else it would be very different for the rich.

[retrocop]

So the West,yet again,decide it's time for a regime change.I can see this one ending in tears like our other tactics did.It says something about the worry of the threat IS poses if we are suddenly cosying up to Russia despite their threats in the Ukraine.

[Ric.ror]

As hideous as the IS regime may appear to us - perhaps those who yearn for a Caliphate are content with it. I would suggest forcing it to the areas that border Saudi though - let them keep it contained - they have enough money to.

[Gromit]

it might have been a good idea to have had a plan for the endgame BEFORE we started to support anti Assad rebels.

Wasn't always assumed that Assad, if deposed would frlee to his ally in Russia.

Russia has a big sea port in Syria so why would they agree to such a plan. They do not want Syria ISIS run, but they do not want it US run either. I assume Assad his getting his weapons off Russia, maybe if Russia lent forces to Syria, IIS could be defeated.

Perhaps a first start in defeating ISIS would be an arms embargo on them. Stop them buying weapons and stop ISIS's supporters in Saudi and Emirates financing and middlemanning for them.

[retrocop]

Gromit
I am doing a mental countdown as to how long a regular contributor will tell us that the CIA and Mossad are supplying the arms to ISIS. :-)

[bazwillrun]

"Perhaps a first start in defeating ISIS would be an arms embargo on them. Stop them buying weapons and stop ISIS's supporters in Saudi and Emirates financing and middlemanning for them. "

Ummm, yeah, ok good luck with that.....

[youngmafbog]

The problem is that the West do not not understand the Middle East and its centuries of issues. We continue to think that Western ideals and values are best for all, when clearly they are not so I am no longer convinced by regime change.

ISIS are a different problem though. This is a totally different war we are fighting on many fronts where some of these fronts are not clear cut, some are on home ground and some are cyber. In addition ISIS openly claim to want to create a state back as it was, which would reach across to Spain. They alos openly despise anyone who does not agree with them to the point of slaughtering them. This includes moderate Muslims.

We need to put the ISIS problem to bed, but our hands are tied by Human rights laws and liberal judges around the West. What these liberals fail ot see is that ISIS are like a cancer, the problem of them will creep up on us until at some point we will wake up, probably when it is too late and they have enslaved much of EMEA.

[ichkeria]

There was a plan for Syria: stop Assad committing genocide with the aid of the UN. It might not have worked but it might well have stopped or slowed the advance of IS. Unfortunately the Russians vetoed it.
Now, however, Assad (whose regime is probably an even bigger butcher than ISIS but unlike them not so much a threat at a wider level) is effectively finish, albeit much later than most expected. There is no prospect of him regaining even half of the country back, whereas at some point it looked as though Syria might split in half
Not sure I think much of this possible deal. IS is not really a threat to Russia, only to Russia's ally. I can only see them "rescuing" him as a sort of "thank you" for his previous services ... Not sure that him leaving the scene will do much to stop IS either. He is a pretty effective weapon against them, given his affinity for mass, indiscriminate bombings.

[ichkeria]

"stop Assad committing genocide with the aid of the UN"

That should probably have been worded:
"with the aid of the UN, stop ..." (!)