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Kassioun Editorial 1125: It is Time for Syrian-Syrian Dialogue
Positive developments continue at the international and regional levels, and there are indications that they will soon be reflected on the Syrian arena. While the general tendency is still constantly moving towards further retreat of the Western powers, at the heart of which is the US, and with it the entire old world order, in parallel there is continuous progress of the rising powers that have taken significant steps in expanding their alliances as well as in working to settle regional crises that have been unresolved for decades, the Saudi-Iranian settlement being one example.
With regard to Syria, and in the same context, we are witnessing the continued activity of the Astana group, especially through the Moscow meetings that took place over the past months, and its continuous work on the Syrian-Turkish settlement, as one of the carriers of implementing the political solution on the one hand, and as one of the tools for breaking the Western siege and making Western sanctions obsolete and cancel their destructive effect, on the other hand.
The new Arab activity with regard to Syria also expresses a growing relative independence tendency of the main Arab countries, from the historical Western hegemony, by taking advantage of the new international circumstances. In this context, it can at least be said about the proposals that claim that the Arab movement is taking place with an “American green light” is that they are miserable proposals governed by a denial complex that deprives those affected by it of seeing the changing reality, let alone understanding it.
All these circumstances together, especially with signs of cooperation between the Astana process on one side and the main Arab countries on the other side, allow us to conclude that the conditions for resolving the Syrian crisis in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2254 are closer to being fully crystallized.
The essence of UNSC Resolution 2254 is the right of the Syrian people to determine their own destiny through dialogue, “to ensure a Syrian-led Syrian-owned political transition process”, which is also based on the principle of “no victor and no defeated” between the political sides, and the only victor must be all the Syrian people.
Reaching a solution through dialogue, in addition to having appropriate external conditions, requires an internal readiness on the part of the sides to this dialogue, and primarily a readiness to learn the art of consensus, which in essence means that none of the contradictory opinions will be adopted, but rather a third opinion that is higher and more mature, not only through making mutual concessions, but also through creative work to find solutions.
Past experience has proved that the regime was a champion of missed opportunities, and wasted over the 12 years of the crisis, based on the narrow interests of the extremists, dozens of opportunities that could have been exploited to stop the crisis and open the door to a solution and stability. Experience has also proven that the opposition, with its current official composition, is still lagging behind and does not dare to take any bold steps even if circumstances allowed it, because most of it is captive to external agendas and to non-principled balances and conflicts within it.
Therefore, everyone’s consideration of the principle and logic of consensus is an indispensable entry point towards a solution, and all forces must assume their patriotic responsibilities and put the interest of Syria and Syrians above everything else, in order to reach a settlement, a solution, and implementation of UNSC Resolution 2254 in its entirety. This would be in the interest of Syria and the Syrian people, first and foremost, which necessitates forgoing all trivialities and striving to start direct negotiation to implement UNSC Resolution 2254.
