File image, by SANA
On May 23, Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told the Russian news outlet Sputnik that the withdrawal of Iranian forces and Hezbollah from Syria is not on the agenda of the Damascus government. Mekdad also stressed that such decision is a pure Syrian matter.
“This topic is not even on the agenda of discussion, since it concerns the sovereignty of Syria. We cannot let anyone even raise this issue. Those who ask for something like that — and this is definitely not our Russian friends — are considering the possibility of intervention in all parts of Syria, including the support of terrorists in Syria and elsewhere in the region,” Mekdad said during an interview with Sputnik.
Mekdad statement is likely a response to the statment that was made by the Russian president’s special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev on May 18, in which he said that all “foreign forces” should withdraw from Syria after the defeat of ISIS, including Iran and Hezbollah.
During the interview with Sputnik, Mekdad also doubted the US intention to withdraw its troops from Syria and to replace them with Arab forces and said that the US is only blackmailing its Arab allies to collect money. The Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister also warned that such a move could lead to a military confrontation with the Damascus government.
“The main goal of such statements is to pump the money out of the Arab countries. This will force them to pay more to the US treasury, which may be empty. As well as drawing the Arab states in direct conflict, as far as I can guess — with the Syrian government, and this is a dangerous situation,” Mikdad said.
Syrian pro-government activists believe that the Damascus government will not ask Iran and Hezbollah to withdraw from Syria anytime soon, as it does not believe that the US-led coalition will do the same.
Good. Putin ordered Assad to do that in Sochi but Assad resisted him. Putin and Netanyahoo will be angry.
Hello observer. Did you personally attend the meeting between Assad and Putin? If you are observing you should be able to see that the message from the RF was to all parties including usa. Is there a point of having Iranians or Hezbollah or usa mercenaries in Syria once isis is finished? The message was basically addressing the usa. I guess bibi is always miserable, afraid and angry, so … who cares? On a personal level, if you don’t mind : are you a Bulgarian embarrassment? The Bulgarians are smarter than you. You must be one of the traitors who sold their souls and country for peanuts or a jew parasiting in Bulgaria.
If you follow this reasoning, you can say also “is there a point of having Russians in Syria”. Without Iran and Hezbollah, it should have been impossible for Russia to stay in Syria.
You are missing the point. Russia is not in position to dictate to the government of Syria. However, Russia is part of the solution and as such it is essential to state that once isis is finished there is no reason for mercenaries or any other parties to stay and as Russia is always diplomatic the message is sent to all. Is it too complicated for you to understand it or you are not aware of the ways of diplomacy?
Syria needs Iran and Hezbollah to protect against israel and USA and to recover Golan Heights.
Syria must build a strategy to recover Golan Heights and fight SDF.
Right. If Syria expel Iran and Hezbollah it will facilitate to Israel or US invade. Russia will never fight US or Israel. Good cop/bad cop technique Russia are the good one US/Israel are the bad one but they all work to the same goal.
I am with you on this. See my post to 1691 above.
Excuse late reply. I agree with Serious assessment below that Syria may want Iran and Hezbollah presence as a deterrence in addition to Russia. Of course we maybe wrong in this but the situation is complicated and a lot of smart and knowledgeable people are struggling to make sense of the crazy situation in the Middle East. Also, many long standing diplomatic conventions have been falling be the wayside so even the ways of diplomacy have taken on a degree of unpredictability. Putin has in fact commented regularly on his dismay of US disregard for long standing diplomatic etiquette and customs.
On a personal note, I am curious of the meaning behind your choice of 1691
Always you asshole with the same anti-Russian BULLSHIT! Syria was OCCUPIED COUNTRY practically despite your “Iran and Hezbollah” when Assad went begging Russia for help to save them from total defeat !
ONLY WHEN RUSSIANS ARRIVED THE WAR HAS CHANGED and Assad started to liberate Syria !
Don’t you have worries about Russia you twat ! Not to forget FUCK YOU “Seriously”!
Who were fighting on the ground ???? Russians ??? XD.
Why USA doesn’t ask SDF to leave Syria ??? XD. Only Putin does stupid things to please his master in israel.
XD man is back XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD D XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
Your fuckers were LOSING THE WAR you twat !! If anybody works for IsraHELL that somebody must be YOU ! You ask SDF! If they are from Syria he can NOT ask them to LEAVE ! It was just suggestion for some objectives that they had in mind to see the REACTION of some countries and nothing else! Syria decides who stays in Syria!
Why were they loosing the war ??? Because Syrians are like you. You tell them to build weapons instead of praying 5 times a day or spend their life in coffee shops, but they can’t understand. Also, because of Putin who provide 50s weapons to Syria while israel get the brand new F-35.
QED.
And those weapons from the 50s knocked down the “smart” missiles.
What I saw was syrian soldiers dead and syrian facilities destroyed. Zero loss for USA.
Link? It was not advertised.16 Syrian solders died in the course of the battle in the last few months but not from the american strikes. “zero loss for america ” is incorrect. In fact it was zero gains for america, big embarrassment for america, total failure for america.
“smart” and “new” missiles
and it took 103 “smart” and “new” missiles to destroy 3 empty buildings
A tank shell out of the worn-out barrel of a T-55 can kill an ISIS creature just as good as a tank shell out a brand new T-14.
What about a tomahawk ?
What i was hinting at, is that i think it is not the age of the SAA’s soviet era or Russian supplied gear. In the beginning, they were losing because their “war”doctrine was based on fighting a regular uniformed army (=Israel), not civilian clothed deserters, guerrillas, mercenaries and fanatical headchoppers.
Didn’t they see that these mercenaries were supllied and supported by USA ???
Iran and Hezbollah did the major contribution to the victory. Russia did some bombing but they never had a proper ground force to achieve anything.
Hogwash. What “victory”? They were LOSING the WAR! You have no clue what are you talking about. They were losing that war. And huge majority of Syria was not any longer under Assad’s control ! They were on the edge of TOTAL DEFEAT when Assad came to Putin to beg for Russian help. Ever since Russia was there in 2015 yours famous “Iran and Hezbollah” finally started to win and liberate territory together with SAA with direct Russian air support. Without Russia NATO would level what is left of Assad and “Iran and Hezbollah” LONG TIME AGO !
So how come that Iran and Hezbollah were LOSING all the time before if they are so dangerous?
She might be as well Arab and sitting in Belgium and spilling her anti Russian bile and vomit wherever and whenever she can…
Putin met with Assad prior to the statement so I assume it was discussed. The purpose as I see it is to call US bluff and/or put a wedge between Israeli and US interests since Israel would be greatly relieved with an Iranian withdrawal. Putin knows US will not leave Syria anytime soon so I suppose his statement was to call the US on that. Otherwise, I find the Russian position as stated, which specifically references Hezbollah and Iran, as odd.
Yes, i also think this statment was first talked thru with Iran and Hezbollah. I’m not saying Putin has a shia-yellow telefoon on his desk, connected directly with Nasrallah’s desk, but via via thru Iran or Syria channels.
Agreed
It doesn’t work that way in real life except in your little deprived bigoted anti-Russian mind of course….
Pure realpolitk i like it. How do syria and its allies intend to make its sovereignty sustainable? Has it decided to withdraw to more defendable borders?
Id pick going on the strategic offensive.
Deal : Iran and Hezbollah withdraw from Syria as soon as USA and israel withdraw from Syria. That’s means that israel must withdraw from Golan Heights also.
Propose this deal. USA will refuse and then everyone will understand that USA is using Iran as a scapegoat to invade Syria.
I see what you did there ;)
Yes. Remove Iranians, remove Hezbollah, sell Syria weapons from 50s, collaborate with USA and israel.
Then, in 5 or 10 years see your ass kicked out of Syria.
And, don’t tell nobody warned you.
I’m convinced that you are not even Arab or Muslim but some retard from the West !
If you were Arab or Muslim I would have respect for you but I smell Western rat of the worst kind in you…. You act like you are some kind of Messiah for Syria ! Like everything depends on rat like you
Messiah of Syria. XD. As though it was Putin. XD.
I’m the Messiah of nobody. I’m not Syrian, it’s not my country which has been destroyed for 6 years and is now occupying. If Syrians like to destroy their country, go ahead.
I give advices to stop the dictatorship of NWO. But, with ennemies like, NWO doesn’t need friends. XD.
To destroy NWO, one needs smart and innovative and concerned people. That’s why sunnis are very useful for the NWO, they are stupid, they build nothing and are concerned about anything unless praying 5 times a day.
QED.
Him and “Rob” , are both trolls who post wild posts to discredit SF. And when the two of them “clash”, no one else gets a chance to comment, as they take over.
Assad to Putin “If you kick out Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, then we will kick you out of Latakia and Tartus”
Putin “Okay”
Putin to Netanyahu “You can bomb the shit out of Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah all you want, here is a list of Iranian bases”