Posted on 07/23/2018 4:22:59 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
Helsinki agreement provides new hope for Syria
The understanding on Syria reached by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16, especially regarding the return of refugees, represents a potential watershed in recasting US-Russian coordination to expand humanitarian assistance and bring the seven-year war to a close.
The attention given to Trump’s remarks on Russian meddling in the 2016 election at the summit may be drowning out awareness of the impact of Helsinki, which is already being felt in the region. There seems to have been a list of short- and long-term action items for both principals in advance of the next summit in Washington in the fall. And Putin is already busy on his list.
The short-term tasker, and the one with immediate resonance, is the initiative on Syrian refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs). The Russian Defense Ministry sent proposals to Washington on July 20 for US- and Russian-led monitoring groups in Lebanon and Jordan to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees and the plan to finance the reconstruction of Syrian infrastructure. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, in a turnaround, has welcomed the initiative on refugees, signaling perhaps a change of view, or at a minimum acceptance, by leaders in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
The Trump-Putin agreement comes at a time when Syrians are returning to their homes in areas retaken by Syrian government forces. There are 5.6 million refugees and 6.6 million internally displaced Syrians. But the trend appears to be reversing; Syrians are going home. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported..
(Excerpt) Read more at al-monitor.com ...
Our U.S. media have not focused on the importance of that meeting and nor the urgency of moving toward a peaceful solution in Syria. A component of that hinges upon resolving U.S. and Russian relationships. Our bureaucraps (and the Deep State cabal), the MSM, academia are in a loop, like a dog chasing it's tail barking Russia, Russia, Russia, thinking that if they attack Trump the dizziness will stop. And the Globalist are pounding a noisy drum making it more difficult to stop the insanity.
This is worth the time to read.
I will take you at your word and give this a read...
I was at first dismissive, wondering if this was a cross between Al-Jazeera and The Christian Science Monitor...
That said, Al-Jazeera may well be more reliable than CNN, ABC, or NYT.
I understand your mistrust. Al-Monitor is a well respected source. They have good and bad writers, but by and large they are more truthful than our US MSM, by a lot.
This is not one writer, this must be an editorial consensus piece.
They do a good job in this article of describing the balancing act that all connected with the ME face. Like it or not, we are involved. Best solution is an engineered peace that works. BIG BIG order in the ME.
I read the article (thanks for posting it) and I must issue the disclaimer:
1.) I have long held a grudge against Syria dating back to the late Seventies/early Eighties due to their active role in increasing world terrorism and instability.
2.) I held them directly responsible for many American deaths in Iraq
3.) I long ago gave up trying to figure out who our country should back in Syria, and who they shouldn’t. I have always embraced some element of Realpolitik, but it could not be the primary driver of policy. I know, I still have elements of idealism in me, but at my age, I hope not to change that consciously, it may happen organically as it does to many people as they get older.
***********************************************
That said, the gist of the article seemed to be:
1.) What to do with refugees in and out of Syria
2.) Turkey is trying to cozy up to Russia due to its increasing alienation from the West, and this affects that.
3.) Some tasks were apparently agreed upon behind the scenes at the 2018 Helsinki Summit, Putin is working on his side, and the US must lessen sanctions in exchange for an honorable exit from Syria and security for Israel (because Putin “doesn’t work for free”).
***********************************************
That last one was a bit of a stretch for me. It is indisputable that Russia was mucking around in our electoral process (I don’t regard that as egregious because I believe they ALWAYS have, and I expect it...it is up to us to deal with it) and I don’t see a decrease in sanctions happening in light of what has been made public. So I see that aspect of the article as a non-sequitur.
But as you said, it was an informative article on many other aspects.
Your dislike for Assad and his father before him is well founded. I share it.
My view? We will protect our allies in the ME. Some of those alliances are because of common cultures. Some out of apparent necessity.
Trump has clearly stated he would like for us to be our of Syria, but at the same time protect Israel, and with Israel also Saudi Arabia. That sounds like a nutty pairing until you look honestly at Iran. Iran’s Mullahs in my opinion are a more evil leadership than Assad (not downplaying his evil side)
I also feel that because of what the SDF (primarily Syrian Kurd leadership) has done to remove ISIS, the world owes them a better shake than they have had. My posts reflect my strong admiration for them. That does not mean I share their leftist views. When you say “they” in relation to Kurds, generalization are difficult to rely on.
The Syrian Kurds are very brave soldiers and they are good people in general. In my opinion, some of the best in the Middle East.
I agree with you on the Kurds...they have a well deserved reputation, as far as I can tell.
We could have treated them better than we have, at least in Iraq.
My friends in Syria still feel betrayed by the disaster in Efrin (Afrin) 1,000 lives lost to Erdogan the Islamist’s Jihadis. (3,000 ISIS, many al-Qaeda (Nusra) and many other butchering vermin)
We actually were faced with direct conflict with Russia if we stepped in. No one wanted to pull that trigger.
Very tragic consequences. Destruction. Live, property, assets, vineyards burned, fields destroyed, livelihoods destroyed. Bitterness will follow for generations over that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.