Syrian army's victory in al-Qusayr should promote political settlement of crisis - diplomat
MOSCOW. June 6 (Interfax) - The Syrian army's victory in the city of al-Qusayr should persuade the opponents of the Bashar al-Assad regime that the crisis should be settled politically and without preconditions, and it should also increase the chances for an international conference on Syria, says Riad Khaddad, the Syrian ambassador to Russia.
"Those who want the crisis to be resolved militarily have understood today that there is only one solution, which is political settlement without any preconditions," Haddad told Interfax on Wednesday.
Asked whether the Syrian army's victory could make the armed opposition more complaisant and prompt it to start a dialogue with Damascus, the diplomat replied, "It should, and besides, the organization of an international conference would be possible now."
"The Syrian army's victory over the terrorists in the city of al-Qusayr today is a turning point in the ongoing events," Haddad said.
The Syrian news TV channel Al-Ikhbariyah Syria known to be loyal to the government reported earlier on Wednesday that the army had fully restored control over the area around al-Qusayr.
Al-Qusayr is a city close to the border with Lebanon considered to be of great significance for delivery of arms and other cargo to Syria. The battles for the city have continued for six weeks and caused numerous fatalities on both sides and among civilians.
