For the second time in a month, a deal was announced to end the fighting and siege in Syria’s Daraa al-Balad, and for the second time, that deal immediately collapsed. On Thursday, Syrian forces fired rockets and artillery against Daraa al-Balad and neighboring towns.
30 rockets hit the town of Tafas, killing two and wounding six. Shelling and tank fire was reported elsewhere in the area.
The July deal was meant to disarm the rebels in return for an end to the siege. This failed when the rebels turned in only a handful of broken weapons, and said they wouldn’t turn over anything else.
This new deal was supposed send the rebels to Idlib Province, and buses were sent in to collect them. Though some rebels reportedly did leave successfully, others showed up and loudly refused to get on the bus.
Syria seems only to willing to resume hostilities if the deal isn’t fulfilled. The rebels are demanding that Syria agree to release political prisoners as part of a future deal. For now, that seems unlikely to happen.
Why should they release “political prisoners” who will attack again? Why did President Trump agree to release 5,000 Taliban fighters? I am sure that the release fighters offered bread and curry……………….
Trump’s release was different, because the war was over. We pretended it was not over, but that was mere pretense that fooled only those who wanted to be fooled or pretended to be fooled.
Release of prisoners comes with peace, not with war dragging on, in slow retreat to a stronghold.