Opinion: The Will to Fight ISIS
Ali Ibrahim for Asharq al-Awsat
September 25, 2015
Experiences of the past do not arouse optimism that this group will make a difference
Experiences of the past do not arouse optimism that this group will make a difference
UN envoy earns approval from Syrian government and opposition to launch parallel negotiations on a number of issues in an effort to end the four-year crisis
Russia is engaging in a tacit competition with Iran – especially amid talks about the impending creation of a regional and international “contact group” after America’s ratification of the Iran deal next month
Russian military support to Syria is part of long-standing and existing agreements, says deputy FM
Assad’s regime even boasts that Moscow’s decision to hunker down demonstrates the strength of bilateral relations
Assad has given a lengthy interview to Hezbollah’s channel al-Manar. Below is the interview as translated and published by SANA, the Syrian official news agency
Rebels accuse Assad regime of using Egyptian military equipment against opposition fighters as Damascus denounces Turkey for “supporting terrorist groups”
No one has expected or demanded that every party should drop their weapons and forgo their means of pressure
“We open our hands to every Arab initiative. We say hello to those who knock on our door as we seek to stop the bloodshed,” Syria’s foreign minister tells Egyptian press
At some point, I was optimistic that all fighting parties would work seriously to reach a political solution, but the recent massacre in Douma killed my optimism
100 people were killed on Sunday in an air strike by the Syrian military on a market in the rebel-held district of Douma, 15 km northeast of Damascus
Moscow has been able to engineer a new language for the Security Council regarding Syrian affairs, and it has succeeded – largely because the United States has allowed it to succeed
Tehran is helping Assad cope with his manpower shortage by recruiting mercenaries in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Iraq
De Mistura believes that in the Geneva 3 meeting, Iranian backing, representation of the opposition by more than just the coalition, and a Russian-American understanding will eliminate the reasons for the failure of Geneva 2
Hezbollah is no longer obsessed with protecting Assad from falling, and is now seriously discussing the protection of its areas of influence inside Syria, as well as ensuring its supply routes and strategic depth
Coalition’s aerial campaign not coordinated with the Syrian government and has deviated from its stated goals of fighting terrorism, says prime minister
Some American and European officials believe that the regime and its allies are leaking this kind of information to reduce pressure on it, and give the impression that ISIS is the only possible alternative
Countries plan for the division of Syria along sectarian lines in an effort to contain the four-year conflict
Influential security official and caretaker of the Syrian-Iranian alliance dies after a long battle with illness
Washington and Moscow agree to continue push for political settlement following high-level meeting between US secretary of state and Russia’s foreign minister
