Mesop – ASSAD’S “ELECIONS” : INTERNATIONAL MEDIA VOICES & SUMMARIES
Mesop – ASSAD’S “ELECIONS” : INTERNATIONAL MEDIA VOICES & SUMMARIES
The Washington Post on Tuesday conveyed boasts from top Iranian officials who were – per the outlet – “trumpeting [Bashar al-Assad’s] anticipated reelection as a defeat for the United States” and “celebrating not only the affirmation of Assad’s continued hold on power that the election represents but also Iran’s role in sustaining him.”
Agence France-Presse (AFP) had reported on reactions from U.S. officials, which had been broadly dismissive and included a statement from State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf describing the election as “a disgrace” and “detached from reality.” The Post quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif doubling down on the official election results, declaring that U.S.-backed forces “should admit that there is no way to solve the crisis of Syria other than the willpower of the Syrian people.”
Meanwhile, the Obama administration’s recently retired ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, took to CNN to blast the administration’s policy, declaring that he resigned from his post because he was “no longer in a position where I felt I could defend American policy.” Ford flatly declared that “there’s really nothing we can point to that’s been very successful in our policy,” and assessed that “had there been more military assistance and logistical assistance and even things like cash… the opposition would have probably been able to gain more ground a couple of years ago… [and] the regime would have been much weaker.” He emphasized that “it is now widely known that the State Department thought we needed to give much more help to the armed opposition, and that was as long as two years ago,” and urged the administration to launch new efforts to help moderate rebel elements, who are battling both the Assad regime and Sunni jihadists. Reading the interview, Al Monitor remarked that “Ford is hardly the first Syria mediator to quit in frustration,” citing among others U.N. Middle East peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.