Putin: Assad is ready for compromise with rebels

(MENAFN- Arab News) BEIRUT: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad is ready to hold parliamentary elections and share power with a 'healthy opposition' in order to end the country's devastating civil war.
Speaking in the eastern port city of Vladivostok Putin said that countering 'terrorism' in Syria a term used by Assad's government to describe rebels 'should go together with a certain political process' to halt the conflict.
'And the Syrian president by the way agrees with that all the way down to holding early elections let's say to Parliament establishing contacts with the so-called healthy opposition bringing them into governing' the Russian leader said.
There was no comment from Syrian officials on Putin's remarks. And the Russian president did not specify any groups among Syria's fragmented and weak opposition that would share power with Assad.
Most of Assad's Syrian opponents demand the leader's ouster as part of a solution to the war. Russia and Iran also a backer of Assad reject this.
Meanwhile officials in Washington have expressed concern over unverified reports of increasing Russian military support to Assad's forces including possible troop deployments. This week images posted to a Twitter account linked to Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate purported to show advanced aircraft flying over the northwestern province of Idlib.