2401: The Significance and Messages

• The failure of the United States in resorting to the humanitarian aspect to impose the political agenda of Washington, as it has repeatedly done. It was clear through the broad war in both media and diplomacy fields, that the United States is trying, through this campaign, to undermine the Russian efforts to push the political solution forward, after the success of the National Dialogue Conference in Sochi. These US attempts, however, turned against USA role in an increasingly negative way, for in the two days preceding the decision of cessation of hostilities, many countries, including Washington's close allies, have demonstrated the urgent need for an international consensus on the issue, and for taking the Russian proposals into account, and this is what has actually happened, resulting in scoring of new additional points in favor of the Russian Federation and its role and weight at the international level in general, and in the Syrian crisis in particular.

• The latest resolution has reaffirmed the issue of war on terror, and prevented US attempts of "floating" the remnants of Al Nusra Front, and to legitimize its presence. This means it is no longer allowed to turn a blind eye to the groups which is designated as terrorist. if the serious war on terrorism was originally a Russian option, it now became also a subject of international consensus, though a de facto consensus due to the balance of international forces.

• The resolution came as a tangible response to the illusions of "Quell vs. Overthrow" that some, here and there, have tried to revive them and rehabilitate them, through the recent field escalation.

• UNSC resolution 2401 is based on previous international resolutions on Syria, ie, it is a part of a general context, the context of the political solution of the Syrian crisis in accordance with UNSC resolution 2254. It is therefore logical, and mandatory, that the decision of cessation of hostilities to contribute to the creation of an appropriate climate for stabilizing and strengthening the experienced role of de-escalation zones, and resuming the political process which has been frozen. This puts the burden on the Syrian patriots, to seek the commitment of all parties to the truce and to accelerate the implementation of the outcomes of Sochi, as a step towards the political solution of the crisis, and to restore the Syrian decision and not continue to subject it to international friction, and to the contradictory regional and international interests.

The war camp has tried, through military escalation in many parts of the country, and through an open military, media, political and diplomatic battle against the political solution holders, to perpetuate the Syrian conflict, including the use of the Security Council to try to issue the resolution in its first form, before the Russian modifications on it. But once again, winds has not blown as the US vessels wished, and this confirms again that the new international balance of forces and its implications will impose its political solution options in the tension spots, especially in Syria, which represents a condensation of international conflict over the future prospects of the world situation developments, between the crisis-burdened and defeated forces, on one side, and rising international forces on the other side.

Kassioun Editorial, Issue No. 851, Feb. 25, 2018.