Assad has a role in ending Syrian civil war----Austria

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Australia's foreign minister said Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has to be part of a solution for Syria's civil war, it was reported Saturday.
In an interview with The Weekend Australian newspaper, Julie Bishop said there is an "emerging consensus" that the Assad regime would be pivotal in any attempt to hold up the Syrian state and prevent further gains by the Islamic State, reports dpa.
"It is evident there must be a political as well as a military solution to the conflict in Syria," she said.
"There is an emerging view in some quarters that the only conceivable option would be a national unity government involving President Assad."
Her statement reverses Australia's position under previous prime minister Tony Abbott that Assad would have to step aside as any part of a durable peace settlement in Syria.
It comes after Islamic State insurgents made significant gains on the ground inside Syria, and Russian forces began moving into Syrian territory to support Assad by guarding strategic airfields and ports.
Bishop said any peace settlement would require the backing of the UN Security Council, where both Moscow and Washington have veto rights.
"The specific role and duration of President Assad's involvement would likely be temporary," she said.
Before Abbott was removed from office by his party and replaced with the more moderate Malcolm Turnbull two weeks ago, he ordered Australian air force bombers to join the US-led coalition aerial attacks on IS positions in Syria.
Australia is taking 12,000 Syrian refugees from camps in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

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