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Two Task Forces will Work in Solving Syrian Conflict
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Terrorist organizations’ opposition to compromise is the biggest obstacle to achieve a peaceful resolution. The news about what later was presented as a shaky agreement reached by ISSG members on a temporary cease in hostilities in Syria made global headlines on Thursday evening. During the press conference organized in Munich, the city that hosted the latest round of negotiations of the ISSG, the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, announced that an agreement had been reached for the immediate cease of hostilities in Syria as the first step to begin the ground work that should end on a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Kerry was quick to clarify that a cease in hostilities was not equal to a ceasefire, which would have meant a complete stop in military activities on Syrian soil. Both Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, explained that they will continue bombing ISIS positions in Syria while the details of a permanent agreement are worked out. Kerry later explained that two task forces will now be responsible for solving military and humanitarian issues in Syria and that the country would begin receiving aid as soon as Friday. Mr. Kerry was also quick in clarifying that, despite the ultimate outcome is to bring peace to Syria, President Assad’s future is still in the air, as the United States still sees his presence as a motivation for more terrorism to rise up in the north African country. Kerry was also clear about the roles of Russia and Iran in the negotiations, which he labeled as vital for the process to be successful. Kerry also denied that either Russia or Iran are obstacles to the achievement of a solid ceasefire. According to the final communiqué, diplomatic representatives will now work on “modalities for a cessation of hostilities throughout the country” and those modalities will be developed and reviewed by all parts involved in the negotiation. This ceasefire, which looks very complicated, will not affect battles against jihadist groups like the Islamic State, the Al-Nusra Front and Al-Qaeda. Despite the fragility of the agreement, all parties recognized that it is a step forward. Throughout the day, the differences between the positions of the various parties seemed insurmountable. The heads of diplomacy of the United States and Russia, representing the two opposing camps, demanded different outcomes: The US wanted an immediate cease-fire while Russia preferred a 1 March deadline for a stop to the hostilities. They are just two and a half weeks apart, but it is precious time for President Bashar al-Assad, who is in Moscow visiting Vladimir Putin to talk about military gains and how the Syrian leader could sit at a future negotiating table from a position of strength. In the end, the agreement has been Solomonic between Washington and Moscow. Kerry said that the target of ceasing all violence in just a week was “ambitious” while Sergey Lavrov said the ceasefire would be “difficult”. “If this is real change, we will see it in the coming days,” admitted the German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Besides the cease in hostilities for a week, the meeting in Munich agreed to facilitate humanitarian aid to reach seven besieged areas in Syria. Aid distribution will be done through aircraft where there is no alternative. The ISSG is composed by the US, Russia the EU, the Arab League and the UN, European countries such as France, Germany and UK, regional players like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar the UAE and China. An example of how the situation has deteriorated in recent months is that when foreign powers met in Vienna last October, the big sticking point was the role that Assad should play in a future of Syria. Now, five years after the war began, it seemed impossible even to agree on how and when they should stop throwing bombs. “We are in the early stages of the dialogue. And the best thing to come out of Munich is a very vague commitment that some conditions are set to reduce hostilities. It is nothing resembling a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire,” said Julien Barnes-Dacey, an expert from the school ECFR. Everything complicated even further last week when the peace talks in Geneva stopped. The verbal escalation has continued ever since. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev who participates in the Conference on Security which starts today in Munich, warned of the possibility of a permanent war or even a world war if the powers were not able to negotiate a solution. “The Americans and our Arab partners should think carefully: You want a permanent war? It would be impossible to win, especially in the Arab world, where everyone is fighting everyone,” Medvedev said in an interview with German business daily Handelsblatt. The diplomatic tension overlaps with the worsening plight of civilians. According to the Red Cross, some 50,000 people have fled their homes, especially in the northern province of Aleppo, where American planes have conducted bombings that destroyed vital infrastructure. Some routes for the delivery of humanitarian aid have been cut. A new estimate of those killed in five years of conflict has shown a considerable increase in casualties. According to the Syrian Center for Policy Research, deaths caused by the war are now at 470,000, nearly double the 250,000 estimated by the UN, which ceased to count 18 months ago. Help us take this information to more readers. Remember to […]
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