Former US Ambassador to Syria: Syrian regime in a defensive position

The Syrian regime is on the defensive in a way it has not been for years, former US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford said on Monday.

During an interview with CNN, Ford said: “According to my assessment, the Syrian regime is in a defensive position, which we have not seen for several years; mainly over the past two years. The regime has so much more fighting to do, but currently it stands in defence, but the war is not over yet.”

Ford said: “Militant groups in Syria are the same like before, but they are united under a broader leadership now.”

“The Jabhat Al-Nusra certainly does not have the same objectives and while many militant groups are ready to engage in political dialogue, Al-Nusra seeks to achieve full military victory,” he warned.

Remarking on Western support for opposition armed groups, Ford said: “It is important for the US now to coordinate very closely with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in order to make sure that support, including anti-tank missiles, does not reach terrorist groups.”

He pointed out that some circles in Washington believe that President Bashar Al-Assad is the best of the bad choices which he described as “disgraceful” considering Al-Assad cannot contain areas in Damascus so how can he fight in areas under Islamic State control hundreds of miles to the east of Damascus?