A new round of international talks on Syria are set to begin this weekend in Switzerland, and US State Department officials are ready downplaying the chances of anything being accomplished, saying their whole focus is on getting multilateral talks up and running.
US officials are very keen to emphasize that this is a multilateral effort, as opposed to previous bilateral deals with Russia. This time, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar are all invited. The bilateral talks were ended by the US after the last ceasefire collapsed.
Russian officials, by contrast, say they’re very eager to talk with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, noting both nations are “really, really, really influential” with moderate rebel factions, and that Russia’s aims in the talks are to get them to separate the moderates from the Nusra Front.
The last ceasefire was aimed at doing the same thing, with the US agreeing that the seven-day ceasefire would involve separating the rebels from Nusra, and then launching joint US-Russian strikes on Nusra forces. The ceasefire lasted seven days, but the rebels never did any separating, and the US reneged on the joint strikes, accusing Russia of war crimes when they went ahead and attacked Nusra forces anyhow.
I really wish the Russians would stop with this “Separate the moderates!” fantasy. The “moderates” don’t exist in meaningful numbers!
If it weren’t for the U.S., the Syrian war would have been over before it started.
That would make the United states complaisant in about 300,000 Syrian deaths and over a million injuries , And Millions of refugees . And Hillary wants to charge Russia and Syria with war crimes . Better vote for Trump , I don’t care how many women he may have insulted .
It is not Russia that first mentioned supporting the moderates . The moderates are a US fiction so they can back the head choppers . Maybe moderates are head chopping Sunni Muslims that don’t use real sharp knives . The United States has been supporting and using these head choppers for a very long time . We usually reclassify them as freedom fighters . Russia will have to put in a no fly zone like Hillary wants . And United States will have to get permission to select and stick with ISIS targets or stay out . Russia and Syria can’t allow mistakes in bombing the wrong targets ,like United states made during the last 7 day peace deal,
True but there are still 250,000 civilians in east Aleppo that would like ti get out but I don’t think the head choppers will let them go
We’ll keep this war in Syria going until it completely fits Israel’s interests. After all, that’s why we are there in the first place. Anything for Israel.