Scuttling peace process

4/26/2016 5:08:37 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Russia is going one step ahead in its intervention in Syria. Moscow and Damascus yesterday signed an agreement worth €850m to restore infrastructure in the war-torn country. The agreement is an expression of confidence about the future of President Bashar Al Assad who received ample military financial and logical support from Vladimir Putin which changed the course of the war. Assad’s forces who were losing heavily to the opposition and the Islamic State were able to recapture some of the lost territories after the Russian intervention and were able to give a tough and spirited fight. Syrian troops have been largely able to hold on to their gains despite temporary setbacks. These gains on the ground emboldened the Syrian government to make unreasonable demands at the UN-sponsored peace negotiations. Any discussion on the fate of Assad or his removal from power was treated as a redline – quite a ridiculous and unfortunate demand considering that the Syrian revolution was started to remove Assad and install democracy in the country.

“The Russian side were receptive to the idea of restoring infrastructure accordingly a number of deals were signed” Syrian Prime Minister Wael Al Halaki was quoted as saying by Russia’s RIA news agency. The aid could just be a beginning. More than the amount it’s the symbolism of the deal that matters as it sends out a strong message to the international community that the Syrian government is now thinking of rebuilding the country in a certain readiness to put the war behind it. It’s also a powerful message to the opposition and their backers – that the time is running out and unless the opposition garners strength their defeat wouldn’t be far away.

At the same time the fate of the UN-sponsored talks remains uncertain. They are more likely to fail as both sides are unwilling to climb down from their positions and a compromise formula is nowhere in sight. A Syrian government delegation said it has proposed amendments to the peace proposal made by the UN Special Envoy and would hold talks with him again today. Those amendments are unlikely to lead to any major concessions from the government side.

In another development President Barack Obama said the US would send up to 250 more special forces and other military personnel to Syria to help rebels fight Islamic State jihadists. When an entire country is a battlefield 250 troops are unlikely to make a major impact. What the Syrian opposition and its Arab allies expect from Obama is a more coherent calculated and powerful strategy which can lead to the overthrow of Assad. But Obama has stubbornly resisted any bigger involvement.

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