‘It will be a BLOODBATH’ Syria ‘will IMPLODE’ if al-Assad steps down, ex-ambassador warns
SYRIA will “implode” if its president Bashar al-Assad were stepped down, the UK’s former ambassador to Damascus has warned.
Former Ambassador to Syria: Syria will fall if Assad steps down
Speaking on BBC Newsnight, Peter Ford said there would be a “bloodbath” if the Russia-backed tyrant were to go.
He said: “If he goes, the country will really implode.
The UK's former ambassador to Syria, Peter Ford, has warned of a 'bloodbath' in the country
Peter Ford made the startling comments on BBC's Newsnight
“It would be a bloodbath.”
The former diplomat claimed there is no opposition prepared to take over in the event of a regime change.
Mr Ford added: “There is no moderate opposition waiting to take over.
If he goes, the country will really implode
“It would be much worse, you only have to look at the opposition-led areas to see what life would be like.”
The stark comments come as senior US government figures call on al-Assad – in power since 2000 – to step aside as Syrian president.
And Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said Washington should be made the “regret” the cruise missile attacks as it backed Russia and Syria in the stand-off.
On Sunday, Russian and Iranian military chiefs, both allies of Syria, joined forces with militant group Hezbollah to threaten Trump, saying the US president had crossed a “red line”.