Syrian fight poses growing terror threat: Baird
Posted January 22, 2014 7:23 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREUX, Switzerland – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says the conflict in Syria has produced a growing terrorist threat that could spill across the whole region.
He’s telling an international conference that Syrian President Bashar Assad deliberately opened the door to terrorists to help defend his personal power and privileges.
Baird says Assad invited in the terrorist Hezbollah organization and its state sponsors in Iran.
He says other groups came in through the back door to join the fight, including affiliates of al-Qaida.
Baird is urging a political settlement as the only way to end the fighting and begin the slow process of rebuilding the shattered country.
He’s asking the various Syrian factions to start the process by opening routes for humanitarian aid, setting up prisoner exchanges and negotiating local ceasefires.
