WSJ learned about secret contacts with the Government of the Obama administration’s Assad – RBC

President Barack Obama

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According to the interlocutors The Wall Street Journal among former and current senior US and Arab officials and diplomats, the administration of US President Barack Obama for several years has been secret contacts with a number of representatives of the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Contacts underway between officials both directly and through intermediaries – Russia and Iran. At the same time, as the WSJ, the US is trying to persuade Assad to leaving the presidency of Syria. Assad, in turn, at different times tried to appeal to the White House to unite with him to the fight against terrorism. Contact the White House with representatives of the Syrian government have occurred sporadically and only on specific issues, said the source edition.

According to sources, WSJ, in 2011. Washington was looking for “splits” in the Assad regime, which would help him to support a military coup in Syria. US intelligence has identified officers from alavistskogo minority, which could potentially lead to the overthrow of the regime, said the source publication. But this attempt was unsuccessful. By the summer of 2012, the strategy of the White House changed the United States moved to support the rebels, said the WSJ, but efforts in this regard were increased slowly. In 2012 and 2013 the main agenda of contacts between Washington and Damascus, was the issue of chemical weapons, the use of which States were accused Assad. Barack Obama has threatened to use force against the Syrian authorities. But, as the WSJ, the Obama administration later changed its position and return to diplomacy to seat the Syrian government to the negotiating table.

Most of the efforts to achieve this step, owned by businessman and trustee Assad Khaled Ahmad, who in the past years served as chief negotiator with foreign officials on behalf of Assad. According to sources WSJ, on behalf of Assad Ahmad urged US officials to join forces in the fight against terrorism, US officials, in turn, tried to convince him of the necessity of political transition in the country. Ahmad himself did not comment on Wall Street Journal this information. Assistant Assad Boutayna Shaaban also answered questions from WSJ on contacts with the Obama administration.

Another reason why the United States supports the communication with the Syrian authorities is the fact that five US citizens remain unaccounted for or are in detention in Syria, the newspaper notes. Assistant Secretary of State Anne Patterson spoke with Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad of Syria about their fate at least twice, sources say WSJ. In addition, the United States are in contact with the Syrian authorities on the operation against the militants “Islamic state” (an organization banned in Russia) in Siri. For example, Washington warned Damascus on where their troops will train Syrian rebels to fight the IG.