It asserted that the Syrian government is adherent to the right of its armed forces to retaliate any violation committed by these groups against the Syrian citizens or its armed forces as well.
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The cease-fire is aimed at achieving a temporary “cessation of hostilities” that would bring back the Syrian government and its opponents to the negotiating table in Geneva.
Russian air strikes also hit the Daret Ezza area in western Aleppo province and Talbisseh city in Homs province.
There were at least 26 air strikes on Eastern Ghouta including 10 on its main city of Douma which was facing heavy regime shelling, he said.
More than 260,000 people have died in Syria’s conflict, which began in March 2011 with anti-government protests but has since imploded into a multi-sided proxy war.
“I’d be surprised if any pause in the fighting lasts more than a day or two and, rather than seek peace, the multiple sides will just dig in and resupply”, he said. There will be no ceasefire with IS, and groups like the Al-Nusra Front are expected to continue fighting as well, as they are “not part of any negotiations, and… hostile to the United States”, in the president’s words.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama’s top military and intelligence advisers have been pushing for additional pressure on Moscow, arguing that Russia’s will fail to fulfill its part of the agreement over cessation of hostilities, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. “It’s as if they (the Russians and the government) want to subdue rebels in these regions or score points before the ceasefire”, Abdel Rahman said.
“The UN special envoy will name the date but the Syrian government is ready for this”, Haddad said referring to the intra-Syrian talks.
“If, over the next several weeks we can see some lessening of the violence… then that provides a basis for a longer-term ceasefire… and allows us to move forward to a political transition that ultimately is going to be necessary to bring an end to the civil war”, Obama said.
Turkey’s position towards Syrian Kurdish forces is another potential spoiler, and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday that Ankara would not be bound by the ceasefire if its national security is threatened.
Obama also said the US-coalition that launched air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq in 2014 was making progress, citing territorial gains.
Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Moscow would continue targeting “terrorist groups”.
“The coming days will be critical and the world will be watching”, he said.
The opposition fears the government will attack rebels on the pretext they are jihadists.
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The draft further “urges all Member States, especially ISSG (International Syria Support Group) members, to use their influence with the parties to the cessation of hostilities to ensure fulfillment of those commitments and to support efforts to create conditions for a durable and lasting ceasefire”.
