Peter Ford: US Wants to Achieve in Syria through Negotiations What It Failed to Achieve through War

LONDON, (ST)- Former British Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford said the so-called  informal US paper on Syria is “a farce and it contains unrealistic ideas and impose conditions on the Syrian people”.

In an interview with “al-Mayadeen TV” last night, Ford said the United States and its allies are trying through their paper to impose their conditions on the Syrian people without any justification.

The timing of presenting this paper is doubtful as it came days before the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, said Ford, pointing out that “this move indicates the weakness of Washington and its allies because they are afraid of the success of Sochi congress. In addition, the paper is a farce and it contains unrealistic ideas.”

 According to the former ambassador, the US wants to achieve through negotiations what it failed to achieve in Syria through war. “The United States has been fighting Syria for more than 40 years and this war will continue in a way or another,” Ford said, noting that “the paper is a proof for this”.

“Geneva process, after eight rounds of talks, haven’t succeeded in achieving any progress. The Geneva process is destined to failure if it continues as it is now, whereas Sochi process presents more success opportunities and provides a new course with the participation of different components of the Syrian people,” Ford added.

Europe Doesn’t have independent policy in the region

He pointed out that Britain, France or even the European Union have no independent role to play, because “Europe has weak influence in the Middle East. It always follows the US dictates and doesn’t have an independent policy in the region.”

Head of the Syrian Arab Republic Delegation to Vienna talks on Syria, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, has stressed that “Syria rejects in full the informal paper on reviving the political process in Geneva because it contradicts international resolutions and aims to undermine the Geneva talks and the Sochi Congress.”

Hamda Mustafa