Qatar warns of military solution to Syria civil war

Qatar said Tuesday that there was no military solution to the Syrian civil war, as the Damascus government scrambled to contain an offensive by the opposition now nearing its second week.

The Gulf state, which has remained an outspoken critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad even after his rehabilitation by most other Arab countries, called for a negotiated settlement and aid and protection for civilians caught up in the fighting.

“The military solution will not lead to a sustainable result,” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said. “The political solution is the only way to end the suffering of the Syrian people.”

“We also always stress the necessity of sparing civilians the consequences of this military escalation. We urge all parties to immediately de-escalate and stress the necessity of ensuring the entry of aid,” al-Ansari added.

Qatar has refused to normalize relations with al-Assad’s government despite the rapprochement with other Arab states triggered by Syria’s readmission to the Arab League last year.

Qatar gave early support to the Syrian opposition fighters after al-Assad’s government crushed a peaceful uprising in 2011, but the ministry spokesman denied any military role in the latest flare-up.

“We have been engaged with the political and humanitarian tracks with the people of Syria,” al-Ansari said.

“On the political side… we are continuing to support any effort in the region to realize the aspirations of the Syrian people.”

Ansari said he could not confirm plans for talks between the key foreign players in Syria at the Doha Forum on Saturday and Sunday but added that Qatar would not “close our doors to any possible engagement.”

Iranian state media had reported that a meeting was expected on the forum’s sidelines between Turkey, which supports some of the opposition groups, and Damascus allies Iran and Russia.

The conflict in Syria had been largely dormant under a ceasefire deal brokered by Ankara and Moscow in 2020 that was shattered by the lightning offensive opposition fighters launched last week.