Assad regime must be involved in Syria solution: Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a political solution to Syria's conflict requires the participation of the current regime. She also defended Germany's asylum laws amid a refugee crisis caused in part by the war.

Speaking to German radio station Deutschlandfunk in an interview broadcast on Sunday, Merkel said a political process was needed to end Syria's civil war, although military intervention was also essential.

"Regarding Syria, as I have said: we will need military efforts, but military efforts will not bring the solution; we need a political process, but that has not been going very well so far," Merkel said.

In the most direct terms she has used so far, Merkel stressed that the current ruling regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be involved in negotiations to find a resolution to the more than four-year-long conflict.

"To get to a political solution, I need both the representatives of the Syrian opposition and those who are currently ruling in Damascus, and others as well, to reach for real successes, and then, above all, also the allies of the respective groups," she said. The chancellor added that Russia, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran could all play a role, along with Germany, France and Britain...................

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Assad is wanted out of Syria, as we know what he's done to his own people. She knows the US wants him out, but she takes a totally opposite plan. Sounds like she has special interests in him staying in Syria. You don't negotiate with a terrorist.