Tonight the long anticipated Syrian ceasefire will go into effect…..the media has not touched on this very much….I guess the mindless prattle from candidates is more newsworthy…..
This could be a monumental success or a dismal failure……
But in case you may be interested in what this attempt is all about…….
A rare cessation of hostilities in Syria will begin late on Friday night, according to an agreement struck by Russian and U.S. officials. While Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s acquiescence to the terms of the ceasefire raises hopes for the plan’s success, many high-ranking diplomats and Middle East analysts see the agreement to reign in the sprawling geopolitical battle as fundamentally flawed.
“If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas,” Secretary of State John Kerry said, even though he acknowledged that “significant challenges” could get in the way of that aim.
Here’s a look at what’s on the table and what’s at stake for those involved.
Source: Everything You Need To Know About The Syrian Ceasefire | ThinkProgress
But this valiant try is meeting some resistance…….
the Syrian rebel faction the “High Negotiations Council” (HNC) announced that it intended to abide by the ceasefire deal announced by the US and Russia. Today, they have backed off of that, saying they support the idea in theory, but haven’t committed to it.
Instead, the group says that they are willing to accept a separate two-week ceasefire as opposed to this open-ended one, to see if everyone is “serious.” They also rejected the idea of Russia being one of the nations negotiating the ceasefire.
My guess is that there will be violations of the deal starting Saturday morning…..it will eventually fall apart because it does not include all warring parties……there will still be the attacks on ISIS on the Kurds by Turkey and others…..
Just ahead of the latest Syrian ceasefire, brokered by the US and Russia, both the US and Russia seem to be laying the groundwork for its quick collapse, and getting ready to blame one another for the pact not working.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the US of redefining the terms of the ceasefire after the deal was already made, suggesting this was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the process by shifting expectations on what would happen on Saturday morning. Russia noted that the deal excludes ISIS and al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, and insists strikes against both will continue.
US allegations were a bit more strange, with officials complaining Russia had been backing an offensive for the past three weeks, a period of time which is not part of the ceasefire and includes considerable time before the deal was even reached. It seems particularly unreasonable for the US to have expected Russia to comply with the ceasefire before it was negotiated, but they insist this raises “general suspicion” about whether Russia will comply when the ceasefire does exist.
(antiwar.com)
But what will be the eventual outcome for Syria if this deal falls completely apart?
Is there a future for Syria as a nation? Or is this the only future the Syrian people can know?
Anybody who thinks a ceasefire is going to stick at this time is fooling themselves. If implemented it might go on for awhile but the hot blood of the combatants has been boiling for centuries and there is no stopping their incessant lust for war and killing each other.
A better statement is…..how can it be a ceasefire if there will be continued bombings……or is the word ceasefire re-defined in the 21st century….kinda like the word conservative?
We are living in the times when everything is redefined to fit whatever scenario the dominant power structure wants it to fit. The definitions only change when the power elite change.
John, the media is doing more to define words differently than their original definition….plus the media determines who is the ruling elite….
John, no comment about my “Art of the deal” post? I must be slipping….LOL
I can’t say whether or not it will work, or if it was ever intended to work. When the smoke clears, see who made a profit, and you’ll know who brokered the deal, and its collapse….
Any political advantages gained or lost are merely factors in the ongoing war for control of the markets wherein the most profit can be made, to wit: any sort of armed conflict that can be encouraged will take place, to ensure the continuing flow of money into the coffers of the Duponts, and their cronies….
gigoid, the dubious
But it is just fun to watch the media and others try to sell the positive aspects….when there are none….chuq
Even if it brings respite for a few hours, it is a positive step. I think it will hold initially as all sides will take time to regroup and reassess. what do you say?
It seems to be holding for now…..I think that Assad will solidify his position…chuq
yes and will probably turn guns on ISIS and Al Nusra
Those two are not part of the ceasefire…..that is why I question calling it a ceasefire….chuq
whats the ground report now??
To my surprise…it seems to be still holding…..
Am happy for Syria and the World.
It does show a bit of international cooperation….we will see how much it is willing to give….chuq
I think Russia has forced the ceasefire as per its terms and choice of timing.
Russia is up to something….I just cannot put my finger on it yet….I know the US is playing a game of “Risk”….but why did Russia bite? chuq
The rebels agreed to a ceasefire as they were on a backfoot. The US thus agreed to so they could regroup and await spring as well. I think Russia has proposed a ceasefire so they can focus on ISIS whom the Syrian Army has not been able to budge from Aleppo.
Check out today’s post….”United States vs America…..it is along the lies you describe….chuq
thanks for the info. will do.