US President Donald Trump wants to get out of Syria 'very soon' but Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is anxious for US troops to remain. The two leaders met at the White House in Washington on March 20, 2018. Photo: Reuters/ Jonathan Ernst
Asia Times: Crown Prince’s overture to Syria’s Bashar while in the US
Saudi leader dropped a bombshell on the weekend, saying that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is not going to be ousted from power; it was a stunning reversal of their 'regime change' plan for Damascus.
The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman dropped a bombshell in the course of a weekend interview with Time magazine that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is not going to be ousted from power. He said, “Bashar is staying. But I believe Bashar’s interest is not to let the Iranians do whatever they want to do.”
This remark by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia is a stunning reversal of Riyadh’s policies in Syria hinged on “regime change” in Damascus. One can call it an admission of defeat. But then, there is always the tantalizing possibility of sub-plots in politics and this could be one such situation of sub-plots gaining ascendance.
MBS, 32, remains an enigma wrapped in mystery. Some say he’s a great reformer while others call him an impetuous practitioner of coercive politics. Indeed, the two personality traits needn’t be contradictory necessarily, as history shows.
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WNU Editor: This is an acknowledgement from the Saudis that Assad is here to stay .... even though much of Syria that he will rule over has been destroyed.
