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U.S. Rejects Assad’s Plan to Stay in Power After Rare Public Speech: ‘Detached From Reality’

Jan. 6, 2013 7:30pm Erica Ritz

U.S. Rejects Bashar Al Assads Plan to Retain Power in Syria After Public Speech

n this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad gestures as speaks at the Opera House in central Damascus, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013. (Photo: AP)

(TheBlaze/AP) — The Obama administration is rejecting a new proposal by Syrian President Bashar Assad that would begin a “peace process” to keep the besieged leader in power.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says Assad’s latest plan is “detached from reality” and would only allow the regime to continue its oppression of the Syrian people.

In his first public speech in six months, Assad ignored international demands to step down and pledged to continue the battle “as long as there is one terrorist left” in Syria.

“What we started will not stop,” he said, standing at a lectern on stage at the regal Opera House in central Damascus — a sign by the leader that he sees no need to hide or compromise even with the violent civil war closing in on his seat of power in the capital.

The theater was packed with his supporters who interrupted the speech with applause, cheers and occasional fist-waving chants, including “God, Bashar and Syria!”

The overtures that Assad offered — a national reconciliation conference, elections and a new constitution — were reminiscent of symbolic changes and concessions offered previously in the uprising that began in March 2011. Those were rejected at the time as too little, too late.

As in previous speeches and interviews, he clung to the view that the crisis was a foreign-backed plot and not an uprising against him and his family’s decades-long rule.

A dummy dressed up in army fatigue and a mask depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is erected in the Salaheddine neighbourhood of Aleppo, the scene of heavy fighting on January 5, 2013. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

“Is this a revolution and are these revolutionaries? By God, I say they are a bunch of criminals,” he said, adding that the fighters “carry the ideology of Al-Qaeda” and want to transform the country into “jihad land.”

But after 60,000 deaths, Nuland says Assad has lost all legitimacy and needs to step aside to allow for a political solution and a democratic transition.

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Comments (41)

bikerdogred1
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 11:00am
Assad,would make a good american democrat he doesn’t know what is going on around him,just like in the USA.

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DeltaBravo193
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 9:08am
If obama continues to destroy this country, he will eventually be in hiding making these speeches because this is going to happen in his own land. He supports all these up risings, will he support an uprising in this country looking to boot his worthless **** out? He would turn to the same tactics that Assad uses.

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Chuck Stein
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 3:31am
The Obama administration calls Assad “detatched from reality”? O.K., fair enough. Now — how “realistic” is Obama’s fiscal policy?

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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on January 7, 2013 at 3:04am
He seems desperate. Almost making sense. Jihad land. What’s next tv stations ahh never mind.

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rochrealtor
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 10:31pm
That should be the last picture of him before he crawls out of a hole in the ground …just sayin. How much longer before we have to fight the brown coats?

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OBUMAURMAMA
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:52pm
Oppressed? To be replaced by the Muslim Brotherhood and Sharia law? Obama would love to do the same to us and get their one world government. Who says that the one world government wouldn’t be Muslim?

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soybomb315_II
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:26pm
its up to the people of syria to decide whether Assad stays in power – not the UN

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KidCharlemagne
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:22pm
Here is the latest video from the Syrian rebels:

———————–
“(01/01/12) Footage of a Syrian Opposition Demonstration in which participants sing an Al Qaeda song reminscing upon the ‘sweet memory’ of the 9/11 attacks and praising Bin Laden as their leader. This isn’t the first time the song has been featured at opposition demonstrations at which Al Qaeda flags are commonplace.”
YouTube: “Syrian Rebels Praise Bin Laden, Celebrate 9/11 Attacks”

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The_Pointy_End
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:18pm
What is on the wall behind Bashar Assad? It looks like a wall of missing persons. Interesting that he chose to make his plea to stay in power in front of the people that have been killed/missing. Think he noticed or was it intentional?

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:34pm
Of course Obama will reject any kind of deal with Assad. He wants his terrorist brethren to take the place over and to have some situation arise that he can use to send troops in at the behest of the UN and without the approval of Congress…as he and Panetta stated before, they will notify them after the facts.

How much more blood is to come to be on Obamas hands for arming the enemies of our nation?

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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:41pm
  That’s what it sounds like to me, too. Obama is trying to pay back the MB for the money to get re-elected.
  
  Report this comment
- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:29pm
  What, are you saying Obama is the only one wanting to arm the rebels?
  
  http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/08/romney-hope-is-not-strategy-in-middle-east/
  
  How soon you forget….This was Romney’s publicly stated policy – and you supported him. Therefore, you cannot put this solely on Obama and the libs. There is only one group of americans who said from the beginning that it is none of our business- and you know who they are
  
  Report this comment
- nzkiwi
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:40pm
  You’re quite right, Snow.
  
  As far as Bashar al-Assad’s comments that are quoted here are concerned, they are demonstrably correct, it is the Obama administration’s narrative doesn’t hold water
  
  Report this comment
- nzkiwi
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:51pm
  You are right, Soy, but what is your point?
  
  Are you saying that makes such interference right? Or are you saying that such a position makes Mr Romney a poor choice for presidential candidate?
  
  What?
  
  Report this comment
- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 10:05pm
  @nzkiwi
  I am reminding them of their position just a couple months ago. We cant be like schizophrenic patients and jump from one position to another just because of who wins the election. We have to form our principles based on the Constitution and natural law and then STICK TO THEM. My hope is that more people will become better critical thinkers and be independent of our national talking heads.
  
  I want my kids to have a better America than what we have now….And it will not happen unless we stop playing politics and learn from our mistakes. Remember, history repeats itself but the price of the lesson goes up.
  
  Report this comment
- nzkiwi
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 10:23pm
  Now that you have made your view clear, I can say that I agree with it entirely.
  
  I think that you might have been a bit harsh regarding Romney supporters, though. No candidate is perfect, or a perfect match to his or her constituency.
  
  Many Romney supporters, I suspect, were voting for him as they felt he had the best chance of unseating Mr Obama. If I were an American, I would have been one of them. There is the first lesson to be learned, I suspect.
  
  It will be interesting to see if Rand Paul runs, as he appears to be considering, and what positions he will offer.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 10:35pm
  soybomb315_II
  
  Arming the rebels. I am good with that. Except that Al Nusrah (al Qaeda) or the Muslim Brotherhood will get either the weapons or control Syria after Assad falls. That I am not good with. Also if the MB or Al Qaeda get control so good bye to any minorities in Syria, Christians, Alawites, Druze, Yazidis, Turkmen & Kurds.
  
  Without Syria Iran is contained except for support of terrorism outright nuclear blackmail or direct invasion of a sovereign country.
  
  Given that there are 5,000 Al Nusrah, a sizable number of MB & the other Free Syrian rebels don’t have the number, smarts or will power to oust Assad & keep the MB & Al Qaeda form gaining control, I don’t see the point in arming them. Who we get will in all probability be worse than Assad.
  
  We do owe Assad for turning a blind eye and/or assisting Al Qaeda in Iraq.
  
  It is just not worth the risk of a greater evil.
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:20pm
Gee, if only 0bama had been president around ’78 – ’79. The Iran debacle would have been different…..LOL!

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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:30pm
  i am curious to know what you mean
  
  Report this comment
dublinthewagons
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:13pm
He makes more sense than Obama. At least he is fighting al qaeda& jihadist.
I do not like nor am I for him, but he is fighting the califate.
Let the world stay out of this deal. Evil killing evil is a good thing.

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Tri-ox
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:10pm
And, who in our government is going to reject obama’s unconstitutional, rogue “presidency”? Who in our government is going to speak out against obama’s oppression of the American people?

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- nesmond
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:27pm
  After thousands have died perhaps.
  
  Report this comment
Walkabout
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:10pm
The obama Whitehouse not Assad might be ‘Detached From Reality’.

There are 16 Russian warships stationed off the Syrian coast.Assad might lose & might be losing by degrees, but it remains to be seen if he does.

This conflict could take another 3 months to 2 years before we are finished wit this round, Assad gone. As I have no TOE & map of who controls what it is hard to tell.

The best thing that could happen & is least likely to happen, is Al Qaeda to get wiped in Syria, Ditto the Muslim Brother hood, Assad falls & the minorities, Alawites, Christians, Yazidis, Kurds & others do not get massacred.
I don’t see that happening. obama is not making the case for it, so there is no buy in form the public. Instead he is using his political & financial capital to go after the Republicans.

I’ve stated what I think is the best outcome, can a leftists state their ideal?

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gyro
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:05pm
he is a killer in a world were killers replace each other
the brotherhood will continue as people die till they win or everyone is dead
Nato is moving arms up to the boader will that not be fun

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- Walkabout
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:21pm
  Yes but how many arms are the Russians moving?
  
  They fly weapons, ammo & spare parts into Damascus daily. Russian airplanes are about the only air traffic into Syria.
  
  Putin has oil wealth. obama stifles ours. We have a deficit? Does Russia? If we get our credit downgraded, default or go into recession what will our military look like. Less powerful than Russia’s? I kind of doubt it.
  But if our military might gets small enough that obama will roar like a mouse in Putin’s general direction before skedaddling to cover.
  
  Report this comment
- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:32pm
  if it is true, let russia waste their money. Russia wasted their resources on places like Cuba and it wrecked their economy
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 10:10pm
  soybomb315_II
  
  I get my news on Syria mainly (right now from DEBKA). I am going to find other sources but having read Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, CNN, FoxNews, that is where I am right now.
  
  Russia protecting Syria, protect Iran letting it obtain a nuke(s). What that does in the end, I can’t tell you. Secure the Souther Russian flank? Enables the Russians to have a catspaw / stalking horse like the Chinese have in North Korea?
  
  If a bull can take out the picadores rather quickly, it might then have the presence of mind to take out the deadlier threat of the matador. North Korea & Iran are to picadores what China & Russia are to matadors. But bleeding still hurts & can cause a really bad or deadly infection. So why are f/king with these losers still?
  
  Report this comment
- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 10:33pm
  my understanding is that Iran and Russia are not allied. Iran is a theocracy and Russia is no better than USA in their mind (correct me if i’m wrong)….But if we keep crushing Iran’s economy and threatening war – i guarantee they will turn towards Russia for help
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 10:57pm
  soybomb315_II
  
  They may not be allied in the long term. They may not be alliedin the normal sense. But Russia built a good 3rd of the Bushwehr nuclear reactor (which sits on a fault line), missile tech & more.
  
  Russia also networked the M1, M2 & M3 radar station at Iran’s request to give them real time radar coverage of norther Saudi Arabia, Jordan , Israel, the easter Med & Syria.
  
  http://www.debka.com/article/22566/US-led-NATO-intervention-begins-in-Syria-war-Patriots-in-Turkey
  
  I am missing many of my files, but the networking was at the request of Iran. Iran calls the shots in the Iranians-Syrian alliance. Fortunately the M1 radar was captured by the rebels.
  
  In WW2 Germany & Japan were allies.Not very good ones but nonetheless they were allies & toward the end they did trade some tech & raw materials. The tech mattered. The straights between Korea & Japan were heII for our submariners. I have no doubt that had the Axis won, that before 2 or 3 generations were out Germany & Japan would have been at each others throats.
  
  Personally Herbert Hoover deserves another look. He wanted to stay out of WW2. He saw the carnage of WW1 up close unlike FDR. He wanted know part of it. It was Hoover’s opinion that Germany & Russia would have bled each other white. Not so sure about that, but he could he be worse than FDR who prolonged WW2 by a year?
  
  Report this comment
TIMEBOMB
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 7:44pm
Bashar I find your disobedience to me amusing,don’t you know you’re on my kill list? I can have you killed at any time and I don’t have to ask congress about it because they’re just a figurehead,they have no power at all. You aren’t going to be in power because I’ve selected my friends in the MB to take over your country and your days are numbered. My media here in new America will support me in my quest and champion my cause and I’ll get another Nobel peace prize for all the killing. Praise be to me BHO.

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- FunFunFun
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:22pm
  2 thumbs up for your comment.
  
  Report this comment
dmerwin
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 7:43pm
He should go but you replace him with WHAT? Another Morsi? No thanks let them continue to thin the excess population, it’s a green initiative.

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- oldguy49
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 7:51pm
  the muslim brotherhood wants a califate and they are getting it along with europe and asia…wake up ………comming to america
  
  Report this comment
- dmerwin
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:06pm
  oldguy49
  That is my point, a pox on all of their houses. When they are down to just small arms we should send bullets until there is ONE syrian to deal with.
  
  Report this comment
Fubared
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 7:34pm
Jihad land? The Jerk is welcome and lalalalalalalalala.

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:27pm
  FUBARED, Damn, the left side of my ribs have been hurting enough, and you have to go and make me laugh even more?! Damn, that hurts……LOL!
  
  Report this comment
- Fubared
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 9:16pm
  My apologies, the scenario dictates after all….
  
  Report this comment
kickagrandma
Posted on January 6, 2013 at 7:33pm
The US government is detached from reality!

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- The_Jerk
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 7:41pm
  Yes it is.
  
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- environmentalandawake
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 7:46pm
  Putting the Deaths aside, he sounds just like our Psycopathic Leader!
  
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- gyro
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 8:08pm
  the us goverment is rewriting reality
  play close atention to how they dont coment
  Obama will step in at last second clam he saved the people and turn it all over to his brothers
  
  Report this comment

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