France can only work with Syrian army as part of a power transition: Fabius

PARIS (Reuters) - Working with Syrian government forces to combat Islamic State can only happen within the framework of a credible political transition for Syria, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Friday. Earlier Fabius had appeared to suggest President Bashar al Assad's forces could be used to battle the Islamic State militants, which would mark a departure in the Western position that the Syrian leader must step down. Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem cautiously welcomed Fabius' earlier comments. In a statement clarifying the French position, Fabius said: "The cooperation of all Syrian forces, including the Syrian army, against Daesh is obviously welcomed, but, as I have constantly said, it will only be possible in the framework of a political transition." Daesh is another name for Islamic State, which controls swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. (Reporting By John Irish; Editing by Gareth Jones)