Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War

Iran's president said Sept. 27 that Syrian leader Bashar Assad must remain in power to fight extremist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and must not be weakened, putting him at odds with the United States and key nations who insist Assad must go in order to achieve peace.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has made clear that his government cannot countenance the presence of either the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on its borders or the continuation of President Bashar al-Assad?s government, warning that a political transition that included al-Assad would inevitably turn into a permanent situation.

It is not possible to disagree with a remark by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu when he said the ?Syrian situation has become deadlocked? ? it is possibly something that everyone paying attention to the tragedy in Syria could say nowadays.

It is irony at its best, or utter hypocrisy in fact, to be critical of Russian meddling in Syria. Who has not been meddling in the Syrian conflict up until now?

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 27 branded U.S. support for rebel forces in Syria as illegal and ineffective, saying U.S.-trained rebels were leaving to join Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) with weapons supplied by Washington.

Russia, Syria, Iraq, and Iran are setting up a "coordination center" to act more efficiently against the Islamic State (IS) group, RT has reported citing a "military diplomatic source".

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani denied on Sept. 25 media reports that Iran and Russia would form part of a coalition that would take on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other militant groups.

As U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin get ready for a key meeting, news pouring in from Washington, Moscow and Damascus suggests a major cooperation to counter jihadists and find a solution in Syria may be the next move.

The United States and Russia could find ways to cooperate on the crisis in Syria, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Sept.24, as Moscow continues a military build-up in the war-torn nation.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be involved in any Syrian peace talks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sep. 24 amid mounting pressure to end the four-year conflict.

"We have to speak with many actors, this includes al-Assad, but others as well," Merkel told a press conference after an EU summit on the migration crisis sparked by the Syrian war.