In the wake of Khan Sheikhoun, U.S. statements this week exposing the Syrian regime for covering-up its abuses were intended as yet another warning to Assad, Russia and Iran, Walid al-Bunni writes
Turkish FM expressed Ankara wishes for the removal of anti-ISIS envoy Brett McGurk due to his support for Kurdish militias, Anadolu news agency reports
Writing for loyalist newspaper Al-Watan, Maysoun Youssef says the U.S. is likely using the Geneva negotiations to forward their own version of the Russian-proposed ‘de-escalation zones’ deal
Damascus mobilizes forces to desert region in attempt to prevent U.S.-backed rebels from making further gains in the area, opposition outlet reports
We should be wary of placing too much hope on the outcome of the most recent Astana talks, as the three previous rounds in the Kazakh capital produced little results, Walid al-Bunni writes
Naim Ibrahim questions the reason behind Qatar’s funding of fighters in Syria and its calls for the departure of Assad, asking: would Doha give up power if the shoe was on the other foot?
The kingdom will enter into a state of war if it agrees to participate in a tripartite plan between the U.K., U.S. and Israel to militarize the areas north of its border with Syria, Tahsin al-Halabi writes for loyalist Al-Watan
Abdulnasser Al-Ayed explains that for Russia’s ‘safe zone’ proposal to work, Moscow will need to consider U.S. concerns despite attempts to sideline Washington in the Syrian peace process
Munzer Eid laments the decision by the U.S. president to include Saudi Arabia among the destinations for his first foreign trip, in piece for loyalist newspaper Al-Thawra
Syrian president also points to ‘harmony’ of positions between two nations in regards to a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis
Saudi-owned Al-Hayat reports rebel delegation approves plan but chooses to walk out of negotiations in protest at Assad regime’s continued bombardment of opposition areas
Serving as a battleground for countless foreign and ideological belligerents, the greatest danger facing Syria is the fragmentation and polarization of its society, Walid al-Bunni writes
Loyalist commentator Maysoon Yousef accuses Syria’s southern neighbor Jordan of participating in a U.S.-Israeli plot to annex southern parts of Syria in order to hold leverage over the Assad regime in future peace negotiations
Russia’s head of arms control claims new ‘chemical theater’ could take place in the Damascus countryside, Saudi-owned Al-Hayat reports, weeks after Putin pointed to the possibility of ‘fake’ gas attacks to justify further U.S. strikes on the Syrian regime
The Assad regime is scrambling to receive assurances from allies and make sense of U.S. policy after the Trump administration’s surprise strike on a Syrian air base. But Damascus is failing to see that rules of the game have already changed, Yahya Al-Aridi writes for opposition outlet All4Syria
Opposition members and activists decry the forced relocation of thousands of civilians from the “four Syrian towns” as part of a negotiation deal to release kidnapped Qatari businessmen, Paula Istih writes for Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat
Led by the United States, an international consensus has finally formed that the rule of the Assad family has reached its end, but Syrians must understand that the battle is not yet over, writes Walid al-Bunni for All4Syria
Kurdish-Arab alliance readies for the takeover of ISIS’ self-styled capital in Syria’s northeast, as the Western-backed forces look to completely cut off Raqqa from surrounding areas before its liberation, Saudi-owned Al-Hayat reports
UNSC Resolution 2254 is the only plan to settle crisis in Syria and covers all aspects of a peaceful solution, Russian foreign minister tells journalists during press conference in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia, Syrian state media reports
It will be up to the armies of Syria, Iraq and Russia to defend the interests of their people by preventing the breakup of Middle Eastern geography for benefit of Western energy interests, Ali Hashem writes for pro-regime Al-Watan
