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US backs role of Turkey, Russia in Syria cease-fire Printer friendly page Print This
By Ayhan Simsek
AA.com
Friday, Feb 24, 2017

Editorial comment: This news seems very important since the U.S., for the first time, is actually cooperating in these peace talks. However, the one thing I object strongly to in this report is the calling of the Syrian war a 'civil war'. It was never anything of the kind. As we probably all know by now it was an aggressive war by rebels created and supported by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel with the very openly stated goal of unseating the democratically elected President Bashar al-Assad. But the fact that Brett McGurk is denouncing the role the previous U.S. administration played in this war is definitely worth paying close attention to. -- SON


Brett McGurk, a top U.S. official, in Munich peace talks on Syria

MUNICH, Germany -- Brett McGurk, a top U.S. official in the anti-Daesh coalition, has voiced support for Turkey and Russia's leading role in enforcing the cease-fire in Syria.

Speaking at a panel discussion in the ongoing Munich Security Conference on Sunday, McGurk acknowledged shortcomings of the previous U.S. administration in the last couple of years in de-escalating the violence and brokering a truce in the region.

"One of the reasons that process did not succeed as we had hoped is frankly because we were guarantor and Russia was a guarantor. It turns out when the U.S. is a guarantor, we don’t have people on the ground, we became a bit of a ping pong ball to try to control the situation,” he said.

The U.S. special presidential envoy to the anti-Daesh coalition underlined Washington’s full support for Turkey’s efforts, and its discussions with Russia.

"Turkey and Russia are suitable guarantors and we are looking for a role that the U.S. can come in to help to reinforce that process through Astana,” he said.

Turkey and Russia brokered last December a general cease-fire in Syria, followed by talks in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana among conflict parties to enforce the cease-fire.

In Astana talks, Turkey, Russia and Iran agreed to a trilateral mechanism for observing and ensuring compliance with the cease-fire that went into effect on Dec. 30.

McGurk said the Astana process is not an alternative to UN-led peace talks in Geneva for a political solution to the conflict in Syria.

“The Astana process is about the mechanics of the cease-fire and making sure we continue to de-escalate the violence. The Geneva process through UN Security Council resolution 2254 is the locus of the political process and leading ultimately to the political transition. I think we have to keep those parallel tracks, while those are mutually reinforcing,” he said.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which erupted as part of the Arab Spring uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced across the war-torn country, according to the UN, but the Syrian Center for Policy Research puts the death toll at more than 470,000.

Source: AA.com

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