Washington Post: U.S., Russia and other powers agree on ‘cessation of hostilities’ in Syria
MUNICH — The United States, Russia and other powers agreed to a “cessation of hostilities” in Syria’s civil war, to take place within the next week, and immediate humanitarian access into besieged areas, Secretary of State John F. Kerry announced here early Friday morning.
“It was unanimous,” Kerry said of a communique issued after hours of meetings among participants in a group of nations that have supported and armed one side or the other in the four-year war. “Everybody today agreed,” he said. But the proof of commitment will come only with implementation. “What we have here are words on paper,” Kerry said. “What we need to see in the next few days are actions on the ground.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the projected date for ending at least some of his country’s airstrikes in Syria is a week from Friday, but he emphasized that “terrorist” groups would continue to be targeted, including the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, an affiliate of al-Qaeda’s in Syria that is involved in the fight against President Bashar al-Assad. The group in some instances fights alongside rebel forces supported by the United States and its allies.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: This blog has been covering the conflict in Syria since the beginning. And while I will pray that this "ceasefire" will be successful .... another part of me knows that the misery, anger, and suffering is so great that I am sceptical that it will last even an hour. When I read reports that 11.5% of the Syrian population has been killed or injured .... sighhhh .... how can you have any reconciliation when there is that much anger and pain.
More News On U.S., Russia, And Other Powers Agreeing To Implement A Cease-Fire In Syria Within The Next Week
U.S. and Russia Announce Plan for Humanitarian Aid and a Cease-Fire in Syria -- NYT
Major powers agree to plan for 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria -- Reuters
Diplomats Aim for Temporary Syria Truce in a Week -- NYT/AP
World powers agree 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria -- AFP
World powers agree to 'cessation of hostilities' in Syria -- CNN
World powers announce plans to implement cease-fire in Syria -- L.A. Times
Major Powers Agree to Cessation of Hostilities in Syria -- VOA
Syria Truce Set for Next Week as U.S., Russia Back Peace Bid -- Bloomberg
Diplomats in Munich agree to Syria cease-fire in a week -- FOX News
U.S., Russia agree to a deal for a cease-fire in Syria's civil war -- USA Today
3 comments:
Well now it is formal. The US has hitched it's wagon to Russia. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have been abandoned. As I've said before the US sphere of military action has been confined to Northern Iraqi (and this will come under Iranian pressure)and this formalizes it. Who may be attacked now will be decided by Moscow and Tehran. Thus Putin has cleared the diplomatic stage (two exceptions) for further military moves at his direction.
The exceptions:
NATO; Putin will continues his efforts to neuter and ultimately fracture NATO by even more pressure on Turkey (Erdogan) and Greece.
Oil; Both Putin and Iran are now in a position to bring immense pressure on the Saudis to cut production. A very simple way would be for Iran to semi close the Persian gulf. Let's say they decide to stop all Saudi and UAE outbound shipping for "inspection". For those who take comfort in the "Open Seas Agreement" I would ask who will enforce it now? If the answer is the US, then I point to this cease fire agreement and it's terms.
Of course ISIS etal have a vote in all of this and a considerable one at that. Putin may have cleared the diplomatic field but they still must make it happen on the ground. For all their strengths (which are considerable) Russia and Iran have several weaknesses in this endeavor.
And looming above it all is Israel.
How would the US benefit from cooperating with Russia and Iran? (Don't interpret this as claiming that you are incorrect, I am interested in knowing how you arrived at your conclusion because I am probably not even knowledgeable enough to be commenting in the first place)
This situation reminds me of Donetsk, only without number of border countries to have a national interest in the outcome. The cease-fire in Donetsk was basically a surrender. Assuming the US is still supporting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, etc., then this announcement would be to try to compel Saudi Arabia and Turkey into "going it alone" by invading without the US appearing the aggressor. If that happens, and the human costs rise, then the US will "have" to step in as a "peace-keeping" force. To me, Turkey and Saudi Arabia going on the offensive soon is 50/50, and I don't see the US working with Russia in a hot conflict.
It looks like Greece has already unofficially left NATO, considering it permitted Russia to use its airspace to deliver support to Assad, and while the US has condemned Turkey recently over the downing the of the jet (and the ISIS oil imports), I believe that Turkey is too important to the US to abandon.
Benet,
I didn't say the US would benefit from this arrangement, but there are those in Washington who apparently do. My guess (and that is what it is) on what they are thinking is let Russia do the heavy lifting and if they are successful claim credit, if they are not (and I believe a lot of people in the US administration believed this)then they could have a "see I told you so moment". Well in the first case of the Russians being successful they (Putin) are not going to give them a chance to claim anything. Also the US has double crossed so many traditional allies that it has come to the point that no one friend or enemy belives or cares what they say.
Also, don't worry about being knowledgeable to comment. If that was a criteria WNU would have banned me years ago.
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