How long can Assad remain in power? This will doubtless reinforce the narrative that Russian air power is helping the Syrian army turn the tide in the years-long civil war. “Assad’s atrocities – barrel bombs, gravity bombs, artillery and missiles directed against civilian residential neighborhoods – do three things: kill and stampede lots of people; create recruits for ISIS; and prevent any possibility of dialogue and negotiation between Syrians”. In the mix is the Islamic State, opposed by all, in principle.
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They will focus on the key topic of the meeting – drawing up an opposition delegation to negotiate with Assad and determining which rebel groups will be designated as “terrorists”. No common understanding has been reached.
“Russia will likely use this victory to validate its intervention in Syria and portray itself and the regime as decisive forces against ISIS in Syria”, said the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War in a research note published on Wednesday.
Kerry simply stated Thursday that the US and its allies believe that “neither peace nor the defeat of Daesh is possible with Assad in power”. He continues to work on the project.
The USA has also been aiding various moderate rebel groups. The shift has occurred although the Obama administration vowed to “redouble” efforts to counter Iran’s regional ambitions.
The United States, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have trained and equipped rebel groups fighting regime forces which control swathes of territory across north-eastern and southern Syria.
“This is why the cooperation between Russian Federation and other countries, especially the United States, is so important also in this context of the refugee crisis”, he said.
That could be the rub.
A triumphant Syrian officer said in a TV broadcast from inside the base, “With the liberation of Kweiras, we will liberate other areas”. She said Russian Federation was not consulted and the initiative caught them by surprise. Eleven million have been uprooted from their homes.
“The shells were fired by militants affiliated with al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, known as the Nusra Front, and the ultra-conservative Ahrar al-Sham group, ” state news agency Sana disclosed, adding two shells hit an area near Tishrin University on Tuesday afternoon, putting a vehicle on fire and hitting a minibus with shrapnel. Europe and Syria’s neighbours, meanwhile, are struggling to cope with the worst migrant crisis since World War II.
History augurs poorly for a quick understanding – even among just the would-be mediators.
“Any final agreement on the Syrian political process has to make clear that Assad must go”, said a Western diplomat at the United Nations.
And interests sharply diverge.
Separately, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said that if Assad’s departure were not completed peacefully, it would be achieved militarily, although he did not address the Russian proposal. Russian Federation is ambiguous about Assad’s long-term future, carefully safeguarding its longstanding security relationship.
But other countries may be getting the message.
The language is aimed at Russian Federation, which has been bombing [Saudi and U.S.-backed jihadist] opposition forces in Syria for over a month.
The envoy is hoping that a ceasefire will resolve a dispute over which groups fighting in Syria are considered “terrorists” and which ones are part of the opposition.
Such a formula puts a far greater onus on the USA and its partners.
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Expressing condolences to the government and people of Paris, Ansari said the Islamic Republic of Iran, underlining the alienation of the perpetrators of terrorism from the true spirit of Islam, all divine religions and human ethics, once again emphasizes the need for an global determination and will to fight against terrorism.
