Kassioun Editorial 1033: Why the Continuing Tension in Daraa?

Despite having Russian mediation, which plays a serious and clear role in defusing tension and stopping militarization to the interest of dialogue, and despite the many rounds of negotiations that have taken place so far, news is still coming in about bombings here and clashes there, and about civilian casualties as usual. Additionally, a severe shortage of basic food and medical needs in Daraa al-Balad is still ongoing.
Kassioun had previously pointed out four main conclusions about the situation in Daraa, and these still stand; briefly, they are:
First: The phase of major military operations is over, and it is no longer acceptable or possible for them to continue.
Second: If the military tool was used in a previous stage to prevent overthrowing the state, then the political and socioeconomic tool is the main tool for completing the same task. Furthermore, the use of the same military tool, in the current circumstances, has the opposite effect.
Third: Addressing the economic sabotage tools requires unifying the country on the one hand, and needs to unify it under a new regime that will be subject to the people’s watch, oversight, and accountability. This necessarily passes through a political solution and through UNSC Resolution 2254.
Fourth: The task of ending the state of de facto division is practically impossible to achieve through the military tool, and achieving said task passes exclusively through consensus among Syrians and through restoring cohesion among the people, on the basis of respecting people’s dignity and rights, and not on the basis of crushing and imposing anything on them.
In light of these conclusions, the question that should be answered is: Why insist on continuing tension in Daraa?
It is clear that the extremists in the regime, and those who work with them in one way or another from the extremists on the opposite side, are now clearly aware that the scenarios of the past will not be repeated, and therefore insisting on keeping the tension within limits in which they think they are able to keep it, now indicates two main things:
The first is the implicit expression of refusing to acknowledge the fact that the issue of “military victory” has become part of the past and has become an unimplementable slogan.
The second, which is derived from the first, is that refusing to recognize the expiration of the “military victory” slogan means an implicit, even to some extent, public position regarding the idea of a political solution as a whole. In other words, the extremists within the regime are now looking at what is happening in Daraa as being a junction within the crisis as a whole. Either pressure will continue towards practically rejecting a political solution based on Resolution 2254, or the retreat will lead to moving towards implementing the resolution.
What is missing from the minds of those within the regime who reject a political solution, is that their warlike and obstructive behavior, which the extremists of the other side receive with the utmost welcome, does nothing but accelerate the end of the illusions working against the solution and the process of well-deserved radical comprehensive change, and even pushes all the concerned forces to insist doubly on going towards full implementation of Resolution 2254.
Until the implementation of the solution begins, the delay of which neither the country nor the people can afford, it is necessary to stop by all possible means the suffering of civilians in Daraa, and to reach a quick solution to the issue away from weapons, and to bring in the various aid they need, and as soon as possible. The torments and pains they have experienced are more than enough, and no one has the right to prolong the suffering of Syrians out of narrow and selfish interests.

(Arabic version)