The two countries have long been embracing different attitudes towards the political solution in Syria. Qatar views ousting Assad as the key entry to solve the crisis and to start a political transition while Russia has always been supporting Assad and backing him politically and militarily.
The Emir of Qatar used skillfully the Russian logic about Assad’s destiny through reassuring Qatar’s steadfast attitude about Assad leaving power as a necessary start for the Syrian crisis since this the demand which the Syrian people have been struggling five years to achieve.
It was clear for the Emir of Qatar that what the Financial Times has already published was true concerning the leaked news saying that Putin has sent the ex-chief of the Russian intelligence Igor Sergun at the end of last month to Damascus to inform Assad that he had to pack his bags and leave though both Putin and Lavrov have tried to deny such news in order to prevent Geneva talks from falling apart before they start. But, why should Assad negotiate in Geneva if he has to start packing up his bags?
In this concern the statements and analysis about Qatar’s acceptance to keep Assad in power are just a work of imagination given that Qatar has stated through many senior officials on top of whom Qatar’s ex-foreign minister Khalid al-Attiyah that “Assad has lost any legitimacy and his regime is the main sponsor of terrorism in the region.”
It is clear that Qatar’s attitude hasn’t changed concerning the Syrian crisis but the alleged statements speaking about essential changes in Qatar’s attitude come after the declaration of Saudi, Turkish and Qatari preparations to launch a wide military action against Daesh in Syria in order to deprive Assad from the pretext that he has been long using to stay in power and keep killing the Syrian people.
Rajeh Khouri in Annahar
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