23 Jul 2012 19:10

Unconstitutional regime change in Syria fraught with protracted civil war - Putin

SOCHI. July 23 (Interfax) - The unconstitutional regime change in Syria will result in the government and opposition just swapping places, while the civil war will continue for years, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

"If the Syrian government is deposed unconstitutionally, the opposition and the current regime will just swap places: the latter will come to power, and the former will go into opposition," Putin said after talks with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti.

In that case, the "civil war will continue indefinitely," he said.