Assad Calls for Dialogue with Hizbullah
Syrian President Bashar Assad has encouraged all parties who acknowledge Hizbullah”s significant role in the region to engage in dialogue with the Shiite group.
"We need pragmatism and realism," Assad told the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica" in remarks published on Wednesday, adding that "it is not important whether the West considers Hizbullah a terrorist organization or a “state within a state.” The important thing is that Hizbullah has weight in the region."
He pointed to the recent moves by Britain to announce publicly its desire to enter into dialogue with the group”s political wing.
The Syrian leader added that he has been encouraged by U.S. President Barack Obama”s initial willingness to engage in dialogue with political elements that the previous administration had refused to deal with and offered to be a mediator between the U.S. and Iran.