Syrian opposition outlines concerns over ceasefire plan

[snoop1130]

Syrian opposition outlines concerns over ceasefire plan
Euronews

SYRIA -- The main umbrella organisation for Syrian opposition groups says it’s ready for a two-week truce to test the government side’s commitment to the US-Russian ceasefire plan.

The Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) says it welcomes the plan – but many problems must be addressed before any truce can work.

The ceasefire deal excludes the so-called Islamic State and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, which can still be targeted.

The HNC’s statement obtained by Reuters says it “views a temporary two-week truce as a chance to establish how serious the other side is in committing to the points of the agreement.”

However it objects to Russia being guarantor of the plan alongside the United States, saying Moscow was a direct party to the conflict, and that the plan ignored the role Damascus allies Russia – which backs President al-Assad’s government – and Iran were playing.

“We are sure that Russia will do something, but the problem in this agreement, if they target al-Nusra — we are not defending al-Nusra, we are against al Qaeda, we are against ISIS, Daesh — but maybe they will use that as an excuse to target moderate fighters, to target the Syrian Free Army,” said the HNC’s spokesman Salem al-Meslet, speaking from Riyadh.

Earlier this week both the main opposition and rebel group, and the Syrian government, said they conditionally accepted the ceasefire plan.

It’s due to come into force on Saturday.

However there have been concerns that parties may use the time in the interim to launch attacks and consolidate positions. Earlier this week the opposition accused Russia of stepping up airstrikes since the ceasefire was announced.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-25

[Rancid]

HNC backed by Saudi Arabia, well there's pin up of democracy. Amazing they would even rate a mention.

[oldsailor35]

Ceasefire can only come with the dismembering of ISIL, but this will not happen.

[Krataiboy]

The Western alliance will do just about anything to prevent President Obama being upstaged by the Russian chess master. Last time around, NATO allies Turkey downed a Russian jet to sabotage a joint initiative by the two superpowers to bring the warring factions in Syria around the negotiating table.

Could the head-chopping Saudis, or one of the other extremist Islamic Gulf states which have covertly supported IS from the outset, be plotting some kind of mischief to trash the peace process?.

And if this is the case, are acting independently or at the behest of Washington strategists, whose use IS and other fundamentalist outfits to bring down the Assad regime has foundered so disastrously - thanks largely, of course, to Russia's intervention on the side of the Syrian leadership.

Throwing the Saudis and their sidekicks into a the fray in the hope of stealing at least some of the credit for winning the phony war against Daesh could be the last throw of the dice for Pentagon hawks. They have been running out of options ever since the Russians started destroying important terrorist targets - supply convoys as well as ground troops - which lengthy US and coalition bombing campaigns had inexplicably failed to destroy.

The US and its Allies really have nowhere to go but the negotiating table. After nearly three years of creating havoc, IS has proved as unfit for purpose as its CIA-created predecessor, Al Qaeda. Even its most enthusiastic supporters, the oil -rich Saudi sheiks, are now seeking to distance themselves from their lengthy, duplicitous involvement with the Humvee-riding bovver boys in black.

Once more, Putin has outsmarted his Western rivals and looks poised to emerge the hero of the hour, unless. . .

In a sinister and cynical move, the Saudi-backed HNC has already begun to poison the prospects for a lasting cease-fire, warning of possible Russian attacks on "moderate" Syrian groups such as the Free Syrian Army (the very same "moderate" outfit, as it happens, that spawned the current Emperor of the Islamic state, Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi!).

Could another "false flag" event be on the cards? One desperately hopes not for the sake of millions of Syrians who have already suffered enough from being pawns in somebody else's power game.

[PattayaAl]

Ceasefire can only come with the dismembering of ISIL, but this will not happen.

As much as media wants you to believe that , there are few other players who control the situation.

ISil could be easily eliminated if said players stopped to support it one way or another.

Just look at the facts , moment Kurds start to advance to push out isil, turkey bombs the crap out of them.

The moment Russia starts to cut off oil supply chain , Turks take out Russian jet .

Then all over sudden Saudi want to send army after almost 3 years of " silence "

[connda]

The Western alliance will do just about anything to prevent President Obama being upstaged by the Russian chess master. Last time around, NATO allies Turkey downed a Russian jet to sabotage a joint initiative by the two superpowers to bring the warring factions in Syria around the negotiating table.

Could the head-chopping Saudis, or one of the other extremist Islamic Gulf states which have covertly supported IS from the outset, be plotting some kind of mischief to trash the peace process?.

And if this is the case, are acting independently or at the behest of Washington strategists, whose use IS and other fundamentalist outfits to bring down the Assad regime has foundered so disastrously - thanks largely, of course, to Russia's intervention on the side of the Syrian leadership.

Throwing the Saudis and their sidekicks into a the fray in the hope of stealing at least some of the credit for winning the phony war against Daesh could be the last throw of the dice for Pentagon hawks. They have been running out of options ever since the Russians started destroying important terrorist targets - supply convoys as well as ground troops - which lengthy US and coalition bombing campaigns had inexplicably failed to destroy.

The US and its Allies really have nowhere to go but the negotiating table. After nearly three years of creating havoc, IS has proved as unfit for purpose as its CIA-created predecessor, Al Qaeda. Even its most enthusiastic supporters, the oil -rich Saudi sheiks, are now seeking to distance themselves from their lengthy, duplicitous involvement with the Humvee-riding bovver boys in black.

Once more, Putin has outsmarted his Western rivals and looks poised to emerge the hero of the hour, unless. . .

In a sinister and cynical move, the Saudi-backed HNC has already begun to poison the prospects for a lasting cease-fire, warning of possible Russian attacks on "moderate" Syrian groups such as the Free Syrian Army (the very same "moderate" outfit, as it happens, that spawned the current Emperor of the Islamic state, Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi!).

Could another "false flag" event be on the cards? One desperately hopes not for the sake of millions of Syrians who have already suffered enough from being pawns in somebody else's power game.

What the Saudis and other Gulf States don't understand is that the demolition of Syrian sovereignty is a measured step toward the demolition of all Middle East sovereignty and the implementation of a neo-Sykes–Picot Agreement that will alter the control of oil producing states in the region.

But nobody studies history any more. The 'Study of History' has degenerated to mean 'What Sean Hannity said on Fox News two weeks ago. <head shake> Well, ignorance is bliss afterall, 'eh? And unlike most world 'leaders', I'm pretty sure Putin already understand the gist of what I wrote above.

Edited February 26, 2016 by connda

[connda]

Ceasefire can only come with the dismembering of ISIL, but this will not happen.

As much as media wants you to believe that , there are few other players who control the situation.

ISil could be easily eliminated if said players stopped to support it one way or another.

Just look at the facts , moment Kurds start to advance to push out isil, turkey bombs the crap out of them.

The moment Russia starts to cut off oil supply chain , Turks take out Russian jet .

Then all over sudden Saudi want to send army after almost 3 years of " silence "

What most people don't understand, is that last weekend, the world was on the brink of a crisis no less dire than the Cuban Missile Crisis. Someone in the West 'blinked'. So, not only don't the majority of people study history, they don't even understand current events.

Ask the average person, where is Oman? "Is that near Anaheim?" <head shake>

Yes, ignorance is bliss. What is truly terrifying is understanding.

[erobando]

Actually, I think the average person in Thailand is more likely to know Oman than Anaheim.

[arjunadawn]

The Western alliance will do just about anything to prevent President Obama being upstaged by the Russian chess master. Last time around, NATO allies Turkey downed a Russian jet to sabotage a joint initiative by the two superpowers to bring the warring factions in Syria around the negotiating table.

Could the head-chopping Saudis, or one of the other extremist Islamic Gulf states which have covertly supported IS from the outset, be plotting some kind of mischief to trash the peace process?.

And if this is the case, are acting independently or at the behest of Washington strategists, whose use IS and other fundamentalist outfits to bring down the Assad regime has foundered so disastrously - thanks largely, of course, to Russia's intervention on the side of the Syrian leadership.

Throwing the Saudis and their sidekicks into a the fray in the hope of stealing at least some of the credit for winning the phony war against Daesh could be the last throw of the dice for Pentagon hawks. They have been running out of options ever since the Russians started destroying important terrorist targets - supply convoys as well as ground troops - which lengthy US and coalition bombing campaigns had inexplicably failed to destroy.

The US and its Allies really have nowhere to go but the negotiating table. After nearly three years of creating havoc, IS has proved as unfit for purpose as its CIA-created predecessor, Al Qaeda. Even its most enthusiastic supporters, the oil -rich Saudi sheiks, are now seeking to distance themselves from their lengthy, duplicitous involvement with the Humvee-riding bovver boys in black.

Once more, Putin has outsmarted his Western rivals and looks poised to emerge the hero of the hour, unless. . .

In a sinister and cynical move, the Saudi-backed HNC has already begun to poison the prospects for a lasting cease-fire, warning of possible Russian attacks on "moderate" Syrian groups such as the Free Syrian Army (the very same "moderate" outfit, as it happens, that spawned the current Emperor of the Islamic state, Abu Bakir al-Baghdadi!).

Could another "false flag" event be on the cards? One desperately hopes not for the sake of millions of Syrians who have already suffered enough from being pawns in somebody else's power game.

This is a most excellent post. You sum up nicely the entire layout of the land over the past few years, the players, and the interests. You mention though resist false flag musing. Ok, I get it; off track. False flags are every bit a viable tool of war and yes, of course there will be more. With so many players and mercenary motives and couching alliances there must be more false positives, false flags, etc.

IMO, I think the choice to leave DAESH out of the talks is less the idea that including them grants them legitimacy than the fact that they were ever only a means to an end- carving up Syria/leveraging Iran. DAESH was never going to hold land as a currently existing entity. DAESH was always going to be destroyed as it now exists and something replace it (This is the fact that Turkey eyes). However, the caliphate concept will most definitely outlive DAESH. DAESH is building the house; they will not occupy it.