Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has cast doubt over a planned upcoming peace conference in Geneva saying "factors were not yet in place" for peace talks.
Speaking to Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television, AFP quoted Assad as stating,
Speaking to Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television, AFP quoted Assad as stating,
"No time has been set, and the factors are not yet in place if we want (a US-Russian peace initiative dubbed Geneva 2) to succeed,"He went on to slam the Syrian National Council saying,
"Which forces are taking part? What relation do these forces have with the Syrian people? Do these forces represent the Syrian people, or do they represent the states that invented them?"
Assad, also said he would consider running for re-election, to which US State Secretary of State John Kerry responded,"How can these forces represent the Syrian people if they live abroad. They don't dare to come to Syria... But claim to control 70 percent of Syrian territory".
"If he thinks he's going to solve problems by running for re-election, I can say to him, I think that certainly this war will not end as long as that's the case that he's there".