Syrian VP: Neither Side Can Win Militarily

Urges 'Historic Settlement' to End Civil War

In an interview today with a Lebanese newspaper, Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Sharaa said he believes neither rebels nor regime can win the ongoing civil war militarily, and says he believes a settlement is necessary.

Sharaa, the top ranking Sunni in the Alawite-dominated Syrian government, says that the virtual stalemate in the civil war necessitates an “historic settlement” that would include an end to fighting and a unity government.

Though some reports presented this as the regime giving up on the idea of winning the civil war, Sharaa has remained quiet for months at a time, and it isn’t clear if his comments reflect the sentiment of the rest of the Assad regime’s leadership.

Such a settlement would likely benefit Sharaa significantly, as he has often been presented by pro-rebel governments, including Turkey, as a possible interim successor within the regime who would be tolerable until the eventual elections for a new government. It isn’t clear how rebels will react to the statement, however, as many continue to insist their own military victory is inevitable.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.