US Request Assad Step Down as Part of Syria Settlement

The US requires a stepping down of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in addition to the Syrian government's handing over of chemical weapons.

This was revealed by US State Department spokesperson Marie Harf as Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the plan for Syria.

"We've been clear for a long time that Assad needs to go. Our end goal has not changed: he has lost credibility and can no longer be part of a Syrian future," said Harf.

The spokesperson was resolute that, to US eyes, signing the Chemical Weapons Convention could not substitute handing over Syria's chemical arsenal, and the latter could not substitute a set down by Assad.

At the same time, Harf ruled out that chemical weapons could have been used by any other party in the Syrian civil war than the regular army fighting, which is controlled by the President.

"In terms of the allegation that the opposition used chemical weapons, it would, as we've said repeatedly, be preposterous for anyone to suggest that anyone other than the Assad regime is responsible for the August 21st chemical weapons attack," said the Stated Department spokesperson.

Thus in effect she dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim, published in a New York Times op-ed, that chemical weapons were actually used by the Syrian opposition.

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