Assad Has Won and Will Stay

The last US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, believes the recent gains achieved by the Syrian army —with the support of Russia and Iran— would mean the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has in effect won the six-year war.

“The war is winding down little by little. Assad has won and he will stay [in power]. He said in an interview with The National published on Monday, adding that “this is the new reality that we have to accept, and there isn’t much we can do about it.”

Ford said the regional pressure on the Syrian opposition to offer more concessions on Assad’s future in government is actually an acknowledgement that “military situation is strongly in favor of Assad, Russia and the Iranians and that it is impossible to roll it back.”

Asked about if he sees the Europeans reopening their embassies in Damascus, he said, “The Europeans will consider what’s in their interest,” noting that Intelligence cooperation can happen without having an embassy.

However, he said there will remain some difficulty in France, Germany, Britain and even Italy with opening embassies when the Syrian government because of the alleged war crimes blamed on Assad.

Syria’s civil war has turned to Assad’s favor since 2015, when Russia sent its jets to help his army —backed by Iranian military advisors— could turn back rebels and win new ground.

Since the war began in 2011, it has killed hundreds of thousands, driven millions more from their homes, sparked a global refugee crisis and drawn in regional and world powers.