GENEVA – The head of the Syrian opposition delegation said on Friday the government was sending a strong message that it did not want to negotiate a peace deal in Geneva and was seeking a military solution after launching an assault on Aleppo.
“Today, as usual the regime since early morning and as before every round of talks, it sends a strong message that it doesn’t want a political solution, but a military solution that will bring destruction to the whole country,” Asaad al-Zoubi said, referring to intensified fighting in the northern city.
He said government amendments made to U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura earlier in the day on guiding principles from a previous round of talks showed Damascus was “not serious about the political solution” and “divorced from reality.”
US Tells Russia to Press Assad to stop violating the ceasefire in Syria
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that there is an “urgent need” for the government of Bashar al-Assad to stop violating the ceasefire in Syria, , and called on Russia to help, the State Department said.
It said Kerry, in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, said “The United States expected Russia to urge the regime to comply with the cessation and that we would work with the opposition to do the same.”
The United States knows that some of the Syrian government actions in and around the city of Aleppo are being backed by Russian air strikes, State Depart spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing.
He said Kerry made clear to Lavrov that the United States was concerned about credible reports of violation in and around Aleppo, “and to the degree that they are aided and abetted by Russian air strikes – yes that’s a matter of concern for us.”
While urging Russia to press the Syrian government to stop the violations, Kerry “promised that we would do the same on our part for the opposition groups that we are supporting,” the spokesman said.
Russian Forces Remain Heavily Involved in Syria, Despite Appearances
Russia’s engagement in the Syrian war continues despite an appearance and a hollow pledge that Putin has withdrawn its forces from the war ravaged country.
Putin’s support for Assad, according to numerous military analysts and diplomatic sources, amounts to virtually the same level of engagement since Russia first deployed in Syria in September. The tenor has changed, however. Syria is gradually becoming another more secretive, hybrid war of the sort that fits into Mr. Putin’s comfort zone, they said.
Russia’s agenda in Syria at the moment is a tightrope act. It wants to keep enough forces engaged in Syria to ensure it can influence any political transition, so that Damascus remains a client. Yet, it does not want to become visibly mired in a messy, prolonged war, as American officials predicted it would.
Noting Russian news reports that private security contractors were replacing regular Russian troops in Syria, Aleksandr M. Golts, a veteran Russian military analyst and a visiting researcher at Upsala University in Sweden, speculated that the bulk of the force could become some kind of paramilitary organization not directly linked to the government — much like what Russia used to fight in southeastern Ukraine.
In discussions, Mr. Putin has made it clear that he will not withdraw his support for the Syrian leader until there is a clear alternative in place. By an alternative, he means a specific figure who the Russian leader can feel confident will control the army and hold together what is left of the existing government, diplomats said.
That does not mean that Russia intervened in Syria for Mr. Assad personally, however, or that it will stick by him.
Russia faces certain risks either way. Its support for Mr. Assad has strained its ties with Sunni Arab leaders and risks inflaming passions among its own population of 20 million mostly Sunni Muslims.
Mr. Assad also enjoys strong support from Iran, another longtime patron of Syria and Russia’s partner in the battlefield. The Iranians are adamant that Mr. Assad stay, and Russia has been trying to build strong military and trade ties with Iran.
Qasem Suleimani, the mysterious general behind Iran’s Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, was reportedly in Moscow for talks on Friday. His last visit preceded Russia’s intervention in Syria, but lately there have been signs of strains. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, did not meet with the Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, on his most recent visit to Tehran.
Source: New York Times, Reuters April 15