Humanitarian operations mustn’t be affected
The recent report of ceasefire violations in Syria has raised fears of the conflict escalating further. The attack on a UN aid convoy in the rebel-held Aleppo by suspected Russian and Syrian forces may derail the peace process. This will seriously hurt the much-needed food supply to civilians trapped in the city. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's blaming the US for collapse of the truce will only complicate the fragile peace process. Meanwhile, Foreign Ministers in the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) urged the Syrian Government forces to halt operations in the combat zones so that the UN aid can reach the needy. This must be respected by all, else efforts to bring peace to Syria can go in vain. US Secretary of State John Kerry's call for the immediate grounding of Syrian forces could be an important step to restart the peace talk. Russia holds the key to the peace process. Being an old ally of Syria, Russia will see to it that Assad is not moved out immediately. So, its effort to support the Syrian Government forces will continue irrespective of any truce with the US. Besides, Syria is a focal point for Russia in West Asia. Russian President Vladimir Putin sees Syria as the gateway to expand Russia’s influence in the mostly war-torn region where the US’s hold is fast waning. On the other hand, Barack Obama, with his presidency nearing the end, may not be interested in a new offensive against Assad. Except for issuing renewed calls for strong diplomatic initiatives through the ISSG and the UN, Obama is expected to play a limited role.
Another serious problem among the US allies in the Syrian civil war is that not all are hopeful of a strong intervention from Obama. The allies — Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar —may end up fighting and arming their own enemies and proxies in this prolonged war. As America's relationship with Turkey is strained as of now, Obama will get little support from Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a full-scale war against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The protracted conflict is only helping the IS to strengthen its fire power and this will further deteriorate the situation in the country. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack on aid workers as a “sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack”. It may hope to engage the ISSG to tighten the terms of truce among the signatories. To bring back peace, Syrian forces need to be restricted to the barracks. The Russian forces which are operating alongside the Syrian forces must honour the terms of the ceasefire agreement. But the onus also is on the US-led West, which must stop playing games in the region. Its obsession to get rid of Assad seems to have blinded it. It also mistakenly believes that it will be able to expand its hold in the region by repeatedly boxing Russia into a corner. But Putin, who is already upset with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation extending its reach right up to Russia’s doors, is naturally circumspect.