Kremlin: Russia, Iran oppose foreign intervention in Syria
Kremlin: Russia, Iran oppose fore… JPost – Diplomacy & Politics.
By Reuters
MOSCOW – The presidents of Russia and Iran said on Wednesday the crisis in Syria must be resolved peacefully without foreign intervention, according to a Kremlin statement.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discussed “the dramatic situation developing around Syria” by telephone a day after the United States appeared to open the door to eventually arming rebels.
“The sides spoke out in favor of Syrians themselves overcoming the crisis as swiftly as possible through exclusively peaceful means, without foreign intervention,” Medvedev’s press service said in a statement.
Russia has protected Syrian President Bashar Assad from UN Security Council condemnation and potential sanctions during nearly a year of violence most countries blame on his government, twice vetoing resolutions along with China.
In line with Russia’s position, the Kremlin said Medvedev and Ahmadinejad called for an internal Syrian political dialogue “without preliminary conditions” – wording that means Assad should not be required to step down as a condition for talks.
They also called for “the continuation” of political and socioeconomic reforms in Syria, the Kremlin said.”The heads of state agreed that the main task now – including in the framework of international organizations, primarily the United Nations – is not to allow civil war, which could destabilize the situation in the entire region.”
Medvedev also spoke separately to the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, the Kremlin said.
He told them Russia vetoed the most recent Western-Arab draft resolution to prevent nations in the Middle East and further afield “from using the resolution to implement a scenario of external intervention” in Syria’s affairs.
WarSclerotic 
February 22, 2012 at 9:33 PM
Of course they opose any foreign intervention in Syria, those russians and iranians; how stupid can we be ? Its obvious that both Russia and Iran are in Syria, i mean they are syrian countries. Their intervention there should not be considerated ” foreign ” . If both Russia and their ” brother ” Iran, would have so much inteligence as their ” hutzpa” is, then we should have a much more peaceful place to live in. But, in the present constelation of events and players, when Obama is singing at a show in the White House, there is not much to do but to call the sheriff and let the shootings start.
February 23, 2012 at 12:52 AM
While what is happening in Syria is a tragedy we must look at the cost of interference. The lack of meaningful leadership in the opposition could mean an even more fractured Syria after Assad. No one is happy that Russian and Iranian ships have been restocking Assad’s regime, but is there a cohesive alternative at this time? Would interference from the west create a need for occupation for continued safety of the population. In spite of outside efforts opposition groups seem even more divided now. Maybe letting the people of Syria make their own choices for now MAY be the lesser of two evils.