The United States and Russian Federation announced plans on Monday for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, excluding Islamic State and Nusra Front militants, that would take effect starting on Saturday. This may quickly derail the deal, as the opposition and its supporters have already said they are concerned the Syrian government and Russian Federation will continue to strike at mainstream rebels under the pretext of hitting Nusra during the cease-fire.
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For its part, the government in Damascus has made clear that continued foreign help for the rebels could wreck the deal.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he was cautious about raising expectations about the plan to stop the fighting. “We’re going to know in a month or two whether or not this transition process is really serious”.
Faced with skepticism about the cessation plan, Kerry said that things in Syria could get uglier. All said they would keep fighting against the extremists.
Kerry insisted Washington is working on ways to react if diplomacy does not work.
French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday that the ceasefire must be implemented, after discussing it with Britain, Germany and the United States.
“‘Cessation of Hostilities’ allows attacks on Nusra”. “It does not happen between a state and terrorists”, he said last week.
The Russian intervention in the fighting has turned the momentum Assad’s way in a conflict that has mostly reduced his area of control to the big cities of the west and the coast.
“U.S. statements on the availability of some Plan B give rise to concern. And I think that’s why they continue to make the gains”, Corker said.
Lebanese Hezbollah and Shi’ite militias are fighting on the Syrian government side.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian air strikes yesterday recaptured a town seized by Islamic State near the road used by the army to access Aleppo, though the route remains cut.
Damascus, backed by ground forces including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is making significant advances near Aleppo, which is split between rebel- and government-control.
“Assad described the proposals contained in the aforesaid statement as an important stride towards a political settlement”. Russia¿s President Vladimir Putin spoke Wednesday with key players in the Syrian conflict including President Assad, ahead of a U.S.-Russia-engineered cease-fire, as the opposition and its backers voiced concerns that the proposed truce due to begin later this week would benefit the Syrian government.
Salem Al Meslet says the alliance known as the High Negotiations Committee is holding open meetings in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and is seeking guarantees and clarifications from the United States about the mechanism for the implementation of the agreement.
Assad’s government uses the term “terrorists” to refer to all rebels, militants and armed opposition against Damascus.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told American lawmakers on Tuesday that he would not vouch for the success of the cease-fire agreement but that it is the best pathway for ending five years of violence in Syria that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced another 11 million.
