Syria’s foreign minister issued a statement on Monday that is being seen as something of a diplomatic good news-bad news joke. Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem said that while Syria’s government intends to continue its fight “against terrorism” – a term Assad uses to describe his opponents – it is ready to talk to anyone who wants to, “even those with guns in their hands.” To the optimists, it was seen as the first indication that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is prepared to open talks with the rebels opposing him. To others, including Secretary of State John Kerry, the statement is lacking. Kerry responded that, “It’s pretty hard to understand how, when you see the Scuds falling on the innocent people of Aleppo, it is possible to take their notion that they are ready to have a dialogue very seriously.” Without indicating whether the White House will finally agree to rebel requests for arms, Kerry said, “We are determined that Syrian opposition is not going to be dangling in the wind.”