Kerry admits diplomacy at impasse as Syrian truce collapses

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Kerry admits diplomacy at impasse as Syrian truce collapses

By BRADLEY KLAPPER and MATTHEW LEE

 

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States and Russia ended any pretenses Thursday of their cease-fire for Syria remaining in force after days of increased violence and the Syrian military's announcement of a new offensive in Aleppo.

 

"We can't go out to the world and say we have an agreement when we don't," Secretary of State John Kerry said after meeting the top diplomats from Russia and more than a dozen European and Middle Eastern countries.

 

Kerry's statement, after three days of private and public diplomacy on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, provided an ominous endnote to a week diplomats had hoped would be a major capstone toward peace. Instead, Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who negotiated the truce two weeks ago, went their separate ways as violence in Syria flared up anew and the relationship between the two key foreign powers in the conflict appeared to reach a new low.

 

No one spoke of being able to quickly resuscitate the cease-fire. While Kerry and Lavrov were set to hold more talks Friday, even confidence-building measures seem beyond their reach at this point.

 

As the diplomats huddled in a New York hotel, Syria's military command said it would restart operations in the northern city of Aleppo, scene of some of the bitterest fighting in recent months.

 

According to one official present in the gathering, Kerry was informed of the news when his chief of staff showed him a headline on his BlackBerry. A furious Kerry then told the entire room, Lavrov included, that "even while we are meeting here, they are doing this," said the official, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.

 

Lavrov told Russian media that consultations would continue to "guarantee" the cease-fire.

 

But even as Kerry vowed to press on with all efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war between Syrian President Bashar Assad's Russian-backed government and U.S.-backed rebels, he acknowledged the current strategy wasn't working.

 

"We can't be the only ones trying to hold this door open," Kerry told reporters. "Russia and the regime must do their part or this will have no chance."

He called for the immediate grounding of planes and helicopters that have launched airstrikes, including a Russian one earlier this week that the U.S. says hit an aid convoy, killing 20 civilians. Russia has denied responsibility, while raising a range of ulterior scenarios for how the caravan might have been struck.

 

"Absent a major gesture like this, we don't believe there is a point to making more promises or issuing more plans or announcing something that can't be reached," Kerry said, describing a "moment of truth" for Syria, Russia and all those trying to halt the bloodshed.

 

The meeting came after Assad told the AP in an interview in Damascus that the United States was to blame for the deal's failure. He cited U.S. inability to control "terrorist" groups and a weekend attack that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers. The U.S. apologized for what it described as a mistake.

 

Lavrov had sought a three-day pause in fighting to revive the cease-fire.

 

But U.S. officials said there was no point returning to a situation in which rebels would be pressed to hold fire, while the Syrian and Russian military's could violate the agreement.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-23

[craigt3365]

Time for the US and EU to man up and force a no fly zone in Syria.

[chilli42]

Not going to happen.  It gives Daesh breathing space so will be highly unpopular among voters.  It also escalates the likelihood of a confrontation with Russia. This is going to have to play itself out.  The losers, no matter what side wins, will be the Syrian preople at least in the near term.

[thaibeachlovers]

What does Kerry expect when his boss doesn't stand by his word? I refer to Obama's red line about gassing Syrians.

Now the Russians and Assad know that Obama is not going to DO anything, they are probably mocking the US behind the scenes and just pretending to negotiate.

Putin and Assad do not respect weak leaders.

[Morch]

10 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Time for the US and EU to man up and force a no fly zone in Syria.

 

There is no way that the US/EU/UN can force (or enforce) that without Russian consent.  Doubtful that a full on confrontation would be risked in order to make a point. Not when the supposed benefits of a no-fly zone are far from certain. What will the US do? Shoot down Russian aircraft? Increase tensions in order to calm the situation? Seems counterproductive. On top of which, the Russians got quite an air defense presence established, plus they are there by invitation. It's a no-win situation for the US as far as drawing another red line is concerned.

 

Furthermore, I just don't see Obama committing the US to another quagmire at this phase of his term. And probably all major policy decisions are currently, at least to a degree, assessed with the upcoming presidential elections in mind.

 

[craigt3365]

11 hours ago, Morch said:

 

There is no way that the US/EU/UN can force (or enforce) that without Russian consent.  Doubtful that a full on confrontation would be risked in order to make a point. Not when the supposed benefits of a no-fly zone are far from certain. What will the US do? Shoot down Russian aircraft? Increase tensions in order to calm the situation? Seems counterproductive. On top of which, the Russians got quite an air defense presence established, plus they are there by invitation. It's a no-win situation for the US as far as drawing another red line is concerned.

 

Furthermore, I just don't see Obama committing the US to another quagmire at this phase of his term. And probably all major policy decisions are currently, at least to a degree, assessed with the upcoming presidential elections in mind.

 

Understood.  Just read a report where almost 5 million refugees are from Syria alone.  As we know, it's caused by the bombings from Assad and Russia.  Just terrible for these people.  Something needs to be done.

[LawrenceChee]

Can't see any ending for this with 2 giants involved and neither has a history of backing down from confrontations

The reality is both stepped back and did nothing the thing will be over much sooner when the tribes complete their shootings with no heavy weaponry and then get tired of fighting and call it a truce and carved out regions like what generations of ME had done

Western interference of any kind except for ME is futile ....none of the ME folks have really played any real interest ; maybe countries should learn from them

It's like school yard kids fighting ...sooner or later it will stop by itself


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Credo]

On 9/24/2016 at 6:45 AM, LawrenceChee said:

Can't see any ending for this with 2 giants involved and neither has a history of backing down from confrontations

The reality is both stepped back and did nothing the thing will be over much sooner when the tribes complete their shootings with no heavy weaponry and then get tired of fighting and call it a truce and carved out regions like what generations of ME had done

Western interference of any kind except for ME is futile ....none of the ME folks have really played any real interest ; maybe countries should learn from them

It's like school yard kids fighting ...sooner or later it will stop by itself


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

I would respectfully have to disagree with you slightly.   In reality it won't work.   In theory it should, though.  

 

Whether it is a school yard fight, a bar room brawl, a full on riot or a civil war, one side will always call its stronger friends to help and any good friend will come to assist.   So, Syria has a friend in Iran, who have long been assisting Syria.   Russia is pretty cozy with Iran and has interests in Syria, so they will side with both and will have little risk of reprisals.   On the other side, the US is aligned with Turkey etc..   Now add various terrorists groups, which are terrorists for real or for political reasons and you have a good reason for nobody to stand down and let them  settle their differences.  

 

And of course there are the millions of civilians who are taking the opportunity to head north to Europe creating a further headache for numerous countries.   So what might have been a little skirmish 500 years ago is now a mess of epic proportions.  

 

Not long ago, we had a little school yard fight at the local school.   It was stopped, but resumed after school outside the school yard.   Next the parents got involved and they started siding with their own kid, now the neighborhood has taken sides.   

 

These things are always unpredictable.   

[craigt3365]

And in the end, millions of people are displaced while the world community sits by and does little.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

And in the end, millions of people are displaced while the world community sits by and does little.

 

Just who is supposed to "do something" about it?

 

Would YOU send YOUR children to die trying to end the conflict in Syria?

 

Unfortunately, while we have the ability to fly to the moon, our genetic heritage is still that of the cavemen, and mentally we are still tribes fighting the "other".

 

Perhaps, if we survive another millennia, humans might be able to solve conflict without killing everyone.

[craigt3365]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Just who is supposed to "do something" about it?

 

Would YOU send YOUR children to die trying to end the conflict in Syria?

 

Unfortunately, while we have the ability to fly to the moon, our genetic heritage is still that of the cavemen, and mentally we are still tribes fighting the "other".

 

Perhaps, if we survive another millennia, humans might be able to solve conflict without killing everyone.

Implement the UN Security council resolution prohibiting supplying arms to Syria.  This would have stopped this quickly.  No bombing of innocent civilians.  ISIS doesn't have planes.

 

Sure, there would have been casualties, but not on the scale we have now.  One of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history.