Higher Agreement, Weaker Obstacle Creators..!

Meanwhile, different political and media forces and sides affected by the political solution of the Syrian crisis are trying to lean against the intensification and growth of the changes and developments, introducing false suggestions that things are evolving towards other tracks different to that of the political solution as set in UNSCR 2254. Actual realities, however, stress that these events and developments are as a whole contributing not only in devoting this political solution as the only way out of the crisis, rather in moving ahead in implementing the items of this solution, through implementing the paragraphs of 2254, thoroughly. 

The most significant developments of the Syrian situation throughout the past two weeks are: 

1 -Al-Raqa turned to be essential on international agenda. Washington, that finds itself compelled to actually join the battle against ISIS after the liberation of Palmyra, will not be the only force in the operation. Different political and military signs are revealing that the existence of a Russian-US agreement to making a joint and coordinated operation for liberating Al-Raqa. This by itself reflects in turn the fact that Washington is moving ahead with its self-adaptation to the new international balance of forces, which is no more to its favor absolutely, similarly as this confirms that ISIS is moving towards further retreat, embedding additional shrink for the world’s neo-fascist current, and ultimately consolidating the political solutions as exclusive exists out of the different crises. 

2- Russia is still pressing Washington and its allies over the necessity for isolating Al-Nusra Front, and for urging those militants who consider themselves seriously involved in the political process to get away politically and geographically from that terrorist organization, as targeting it is coming anyway, for sure. This clearly includes and targets closing the Turkish-Syrian borders in terms of insurgency and funds, meaning additional shrink for the hardline and harmful regional roles in the Syrian crisis. Only in this sense, one can say that the battle of Aleppo falls also within the framework of the political solution, in parallel with fighting terrorism, and not within any other framework aspired for by some hardliners.

3- The previous battles/ operations, aiming at diminishing terrorism and regional negative roles, are accompanied with parallel changes in Riyadh (Syrian opposition) group, the major content of which is the start of a compulsory adjustment  to get ready to implementing 2254.

4- On ground, humanitarian access and delivery are advancing, against all odds. This runs in parallel with the fact that putting Al-Nusra and its associates under direct threat would lead to deeper designation and separation between those who are pro- or anti-terrorism, who are with or against the political solution, in a manner that would pave the way for further and stronger  consolidation of different and sporadic truces.

At the end of the day, all the above-mentioned indications and events, generally speaking in political sense, underline having renewed prospects for resuming Geneva-3 and implementing the UN Resolution,  but at a higher level of international consensus, lower level of regional hindrance, and additional political and military weakening  of the domestic hardliners, of the different sides.

Kassioun Editorial, Issue No 761, May 5, 2016