US and UK to offer Assad safe passage if he joins Syria peace talks

America and Britain are willing to offer Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his wife safe passage if he agrees to enter into discussions on a political transition in Syria. The initiative comes after U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. President Barack Obama received encouragement from Russia's President Vladimir Putin in separate bilateral talks at the G20 in Mexico, reported The Guardian on Thursday.

According to a British official, quoted by the newspaper, Assad could be allowed to participate in a conference that would take place in Geneva under the aegis of the U.N.

On Monday, Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a joint appeal on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. "Stop the bloodshed in Syria, we call for an immediate halt to violence," they said.

Washington hopes that Russia will eventually facilitate a solution to the crisis in Syria, despite its refusal to support resolutions at the U.N. Security Council, condemning the regime for its repression of the revolt.

However, despite the U.S. and Russia divisions on the Syrian issue,Vladimir Putin has declared that he found many points of agreement with Barack Obama on how to settle the Syrian crisis.

For his part, Britain’s Prime Minister says Russian Putin made it clear at the G-20 summit that he wants President Bashar al-Assad out of power in Syria. Putin now indicates that the Syrian people should be able to choose their future in an independent and democratic atmosphere.

Furthermore, French President Francois Hollande said that Russia was playing "its role to promote the transition" in Syria, involving the departure of President Bashar el Assad. He made this comment during a press conference in Mexico after the G20 summit. "Those who massacred their people today can not be the future of Syria," he added.

"We have to strengthen the pressure of sanctions, giving observers a different mission from this of today." Hollande added: "We have to reinforce the pressure of sanctions, giving observers a mission different from this of today, since the observers were withdrawn and find a political solution, that of Assad's departure."

On the ground, Syrian regime forces suffered heavy losses Wednesday against the rebels as 28 regime soldiers were killed in the region of Latakia.

In addition, up to 30 soldiers, including an officer, were captured by the rebels who also got their hands on weapons, SANA and opposition sources reported.

At least 39 people were killed Wednesday morning in the violence including five rebels according to thr Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR).

On Tuesday, the violence left 62 dead, including 31 civilians, 27 soldiers and four rebels.

Since the beginning of the revolt against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in mid- March 2011, over 14,400 people died in Syria, mostly civilians, according to SOHR.

More as it becomes available.

Sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/21/assad-clemency-syria-peace-talks?newsfeed=true

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/06/21/221841.html