America’s top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has no role to play in the future of his country and he must go. 
 
In Geneva, the last Geneva, the last scheduled stop on the U.S. secretary of state’s week-long trip to the Middle East and South Asia, Tillerson called his discussions with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura fruitful. 

Syria’s civil war has gone on for more than six years.  Nearly one-half-million people have been killed and around 11 million have been displaced both inside and outside the country.

Despite the bleak picture, Tillerson sees positive signs toward a political resolution to this crisis.  He says the militant Islamic State group is on the brink of defeat and the United States is continuing to de-escalate violence in Syria.

He said the United States wants to see Syria emerge from this war as a whole and unified country — a country in which President Bashar al-Assad has no role to play.

“I have said this many times as well that we do not believe there is a future for the Assad regime, the Assad family,” Tillerson reiterated.  ” I think I have said it on a number of occasions.  The reign of the Assad family is coming to the end.  The only issue is how should that be brought about.  And we believe it can be brought about and will be brought about.”

Tillerson said he supports the so-called Geneva process, which seeks a peaceful, negotiated end to the Syrian war.  He noted the process sets out specific procedures for holding elections, but has no prerequisite that Assad goes before the process starts.

U.N. envoy de Mistura, who is mediating the negotiations, briefed the U.N. Security Council by video conference following his meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State.  De Mistura announced he plans to reconvene an eighth round of intra-Syrian talks on November 28.
…