In response to statements made by an international envoy that the Syrian President should not be part of a transitional government, Syria's foreign minister on Saturday said that any discussion of President Bashar al-Assad's future was "unacceptable," proving once again that even amid the escalating violence, bloodshed and seemingly increasingly desperate situation Assad is in, he will continue to cling to power.
"No one should dare discuss the position of the president ... this is unacceptable," the Foreign Minister told Syrian state television in an interview.
Despite numerous diplomatic attempts at ending the 22-month conflict, world powers continue to find themselves in a deadlock in their hopes of forming a transitional government and putting an end to the violence which has already claimed the lives of 60,000 people.