BEIRUT (AP) – A cease-fire came into effect in Syria at sunset Monday in the latest attempt led by the United States and Russian Federation to bring some quiet in the 5 1/2-year civil war.
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“The armed forces are continuing their work, relentlessly and without hesitation, regardless of internal or external circumstances”, he said as he toured a former rebel stronghold near Damascus.
But that scenario is complicated by the fact that Jabhat Fatah al-Sham remains intertwined with several other groups fighting on the ground.
“We are not optimistic about this ceasefire”, he told CNN, as explosions rang out in the background. Staffan de Mistura said in a text message to The Associated Press on Monday that no statement from his office about the truce was expected before the following afternoon. He said there has been a reduction in violence in its first hours and said it offers an opportunity for peace.
Unless Donald Trump were to surprise the American people and do the exact opposite of what he says he would do, it’s likely that Russian support would overwhelm consensus in the United States, creating more of Putin mindset that would perhaps overshadow the view that those countries who are concerned with Russia at their border have – such as those with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation – which would be a complete reset of relations with an already established global alliance, in favor of Russian interests.
An agreement on the cease-fire was reached late Friday by Russian and American diplomats meeting in Geneva, who have been struggling to find a way to reduce violence in the increasingly complex conflict so that food and medicine can reach civilians.
At the White House on Monday, spokesman Josh Earnest said the success of the agreement places a lot of pressure on Russian Federation to deliver..
“It’s excellent but I certainly have no confidence in the regime”.
As well as bringing a temporary end to the fighting, it aims to provide crucial aid to hundreds of thousands of desperate civilians.
Hours before the truce took effect, an emboldened Assad vowed to take back all of Syria.
In a gesture loaded with symbolism, state television showed Assad visiting Daraya, a Damascus suburb long held by rebels but recaptured last month after fighters there surrendered in the face of a crushing siege.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reiterated his determination to reconquer all of Syria from what he termed “terrorists”, making it clear he has no plans to completely stop fighting to crush the five-year-old rebellion against his regime. In this photo released on the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, Syrian President Bashar Assad, fourth right, prays at the dawn Eid al-Adha prayers at the Saad ibn Muaaz Mosque in Daraya, a blockaded Dama.
No written copy of the agreement has been made public.
“The Obama administration believes a ceasefire leading to negotiations “is the only realistic possible solution”, according to Kerry”. That raises the danger that continued airstrikes will draw rebels into retaliation, eventually leading to the cease-fire’s collapse, much as previous attempts earlier this year fell apart.
Even before the ceasefire was scheduled to take effect – sundown in Syria – the difficulties were underscored. Along with Assad’s government, his key allies – Russia, Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah – have also endorsed the deal.
But maintaining the ceasefire means overcoming big challenges, including separating nationalist rebels who would be protected under it from jihadist fighters who are excluded.
The agreement, announced Friday after marathon talks between Russian Federation and the United States, has been billed as the best chance yet to halt the bloodshed in Syria’s five-year civil war. On Saturday alone, presumed Russian or Syrian regime airstrikes on the rebel-held provinces o.
The group, which now calls itself Jabhet Fateh al-Sham, is playing a vital role in the battle for Aleppo allied with other rebel factions, but is still outside the ceasefire. And without these factions, the rebels don’t stand a chance against government forces, making the prospects of peace in Syria are hard to say the least.
When the sun sets Monday over Syria, the country’s war-weary residents will be watching to see if the fighting will stop for a full 48 hours, in line with a hard-fought ceasefire brokered Friday by the U.S. and Russian Federation. However, a source in the opposition told Reuters that Ahrar al-Sham, would back the cessation of hostilities in an announcement later on Monday. But he said the government could continue going after al-Qaida-linked militants in certain, unspecified areas.
Nationalist rebel groups, including factions backed by Assad’s foreign enemies, wrote to Washington on Sunday to express deep concerns over the truce.
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It said the ceasefire shared the flaw that doomed the previous truce: a lack of guarantees or monitoring mechanisms.
