There has been no change in U.S. support for a policy that states only groups designated by the U.N.as terrorist organizations must be excluded from a cessation of hostilities deal in Syria, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday, while refuting a statement from Secretary of State John Kerry in which he affiliates two opposition groups in Syria with terrorist organizations.
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USA officials said no agreement with Moscow has yet been reached.
War can, apparently, make unusual bedfellows and the United States seems ready to get under the covers with Russian Federation. Also, there’s no enforcement mechanism if the Putin or Assad regimes violate their commitments – as they have consistently done until now.
It said that expanded coordination between the United States and Russian Federation would be channeled through a Joint Implementation Group, based in the vicinity of the Jordanian capital Amman. It would be a lot harder for the Pentagon to argue war with Russian Federation is imminent if they’re directly cooperating with them.
The ultimate goal of the proposal is said to be a “durable national ceasefire” in Syria, leading to a political transition.
While Russia’s unwilling to retreat on support for its ally, the U.S.is just hoping “to reduce violence in Syria to a less embarrassing and more manageable level”, said Faysal Itani, a fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington.
Shell is a presidential appointee who serves on a part-time basis as chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The Nusra Front, an offshoot of al Qaeda, has frequently operated in close proximity to rebels deemed moderate by the West, including some that have received military training and support from the Central Intelligence Agency and Arab members of the U.S.-led coalition. “She worked with the terrorists, and because she came illegally, she’s been responsible of everything that befall on her”, Assad said, speaking in English.
The document, published by The Washington Post, calls for joint bombing operations, a command-and-control centre and other synchronised efforts.
Some defense officials skeptical of the proposal backed by President Obama and Kerry note that Russian forces have leveraged attacks against U.S.-backed rebel forces as recently as last month.
“We’re not conducting or coordinating any military operations with Russian Federation at this moment”, Cook added.
Speaking to NBC News in Damascus, the embattled leader insisted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had never raised the issue of his departure or a political transition with him. The Russian air force would still be permitted to strike Jabhat al-Nusra unilaterally if there were an “imminent threat” to their personnel. He said his group would continue fighting alongside Nusra.
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The conflict in Syria has now driven more than 4 million people – one-sixth of the country’s population – to seek sanctuary in neighboring countries, making it the largest refugee crisis in a quarter of a century, according to the UN.
