Syrian leader Assad must go – Tillerson

GENEVA — US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson doubled down yesterday on Washington's call for Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave power, looking past recent battlefield gains by his Russian-backed forces to insist that "the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end."

Tillerson made the comments after what he called a "fruitful" meeting with the UN's envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who later announced plans to resume UNmediated peace Syrian talks November 28. It will be the eighth such round under his mediation in Geneva since early 2016.

The top US diplomat used the occasion to reiterate Washington's longstanding, hardline position against Assad, which has been overshadowed of late by the Trump administration's focus more on defeating Islamic State than on ousting the Syrian leader.

Tillerson also endeavored to play down Iran's role in supporting Assad.

Syria's war has left at least 400,000 people dead and driven more than 11 million people from their homes, and the United States has been calling for Assad to go nearly from the start of the uprising against him more than 6 1/2 years ago.

But this time, facts on the ground are playing more in his favor than at any time in years.

"The United States wants a whole and unified Syria with no role for Bashar Assad in the government," Tillerson told reporters after the meeting at the US mission in Geneva. "The reign of the Assad family is coming to an end, and the only issue is how that should be brought about."