John Kerry’s Speech on Syria Was a Sign of What’s to Come for Assad

In a speech at the US Institute of Peace on Thursday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the country had been “building on common ground” with Russia and Iran at peace talks in Vienna over the conflict in Syria.

Kerry said that the US remained firm in its opposition to a role for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's future. But he noted that in the name of finding common ground, negotiators would be “leaving aside” the issue of his departure.

“We do not know for certain whether the kind of political transition we seek in that country can be achieved,” Kerry said.

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Tony Badran, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, predicted last month that Iran's presence at the talks would “corner the few remaining backers of the Syrian revolution.”

“Iran said 'give us more' at every turn when the nuclear deal was being negotiated,” Badran said. “So they may end up playing the same game at the Syria talks — especially since Washington has stated openly that it wants to avoid a regime collapse in Syria.”

“For all intents and purposes, the US is already playing on Russian and Iranian turf,” Badran added.

Badran charged that allowing Iran to wield influence over Syria was simply an extension of the evolving US policy toward Iran, which views the country as a legitimate player in the Middle East.

“I don't see Iran's invitation to the talks as a change in the administration's policy — rather, it is in line with Obama's long-held perception of Syria as an Iranian sphere of influence, and his desire to legitimize Iran as a regional interlocutor of the US,” Badran said.

He added, while referencing Iranian diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif: “Indeed, that was the whole point of the Iran deal — to establish a broader regional partnership with the Iranians. Giving Zarif a seat at the table is just the logical continuation of that policy.”

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