Russia is condemned for attacking rebels other than Isis in Syria, but Isis are not the only extremist rebels. One other major militia, al-Nusra, are designated terrorists by the West.
Turkey and Saudi Arabia are supporting al-Nusra, with no objection from America or Britain.
Saudi Arabia has declared that Assad will go, either voluntarily or by force. The latter process it says may be ‘prolonged and destructive’ (for the people of Syria mainly of course).
Our government is de facto backing Saudi Arabia, and America supplies it with TOW missiles which can destroy tanks.
Saudi Arabia in turn gives them to Syrian rebels who have used them to inflict heavy losses on the Syrian army. There is talk of Saudi Arabia beefing up military supplies to the rebels.
The West has pursued an uncompromising hardline policy in Syria ever since Barack Obama declared that Assad had to go when the conflict was only a few months old.
It is time for Obama and Cameron to admit that their stand on Assad is making a peace process for Syria impossible.
They must drop preconditions and get started on serious talks with Putin (whose involvement Philip Hammond recently said was vital) on a peace process aimed at bringing this human catastrophe to an end.
Dr Brendan O’Brien (retired), London N21
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