Syrian rebels agree to attend peace talks
Kazakhstan talks will focus on reinforcing truce
BEIRUT // Syrian rebels have agreed to join talks organised by enemies Iran and Russia and supporter Turkey to try to find an end to the six-year war.
The talks are due to take place next week in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
“All the rebel groups are going. Everyone has agreed,” Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in the Jaish Al Islam rebel group, said yesterday.
“Astana is a process to end the bloodletting by the regime and its allies. We want to end this series of crimes.”
It is hoped that the Astana talks, which will centre on military developments, will pave the way for successful UN-hosted talks next month in Geneva. Ahmad Ramadan, from the leading National Coalition opposition group, said the Astana talks would aim to reinforce the truce that has largely held, while the details of the political process to end the war would be thrashed out in Switzerland.
Osama Abu Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups, said Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, which changed its name from Jabhat Al Nusra after breaking away from Al Qaeda, would not be attending.
US president- elect Donald Trump’s team was invited, but has not officially responded.
Meanwhile, his predecessor Barack Obama yesterday said he did not regret his ad-libbed remark about a “red line” over Syria’s use of chemical weapons.
“I think it was important for me as president of the US to send a message that in fact there is something different about chemical weapons,” he said.
BEIRUT // Syrian rebel groups said yesterday they will attend peace talks next week in a boost to efforts by rivals Turkey and Russia to end the six-year conflict.
The talks, in the Kazakh capital Astana, are set to build on a nationwide truce that has largely held despite violence across several fronts in recent days. Organised by Turkey, which backs the rebels, and government allies Russia and Iran, the meetings are the latest effort to end the war that has raged in Syria since March 2011. The powers have backed opposing sides of Syria’s conflict for years but have worked closely in recent weeks to end the bloodshed.
If the Astana meetings are successful, they could bode well for more United Nations- hosted negotiations on the conflict next month in Geneva.
“All the rebel groups are going [ to Astana]. Everyone has agreed,” said Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure in the Jaish Al Islam rebel group.
“Astana is a process to end the bloodletting by the regime and its allies. We want to end this series of crimes.” Ahmad Al Othman from the Sultan Murad faction confirmed rebel groups would attend.
Sources from the opposition and the Syrian government said the talks would “probably” be face-to-face.
Several rounds of peace talks held by the United Nations have failed to produce a political solution.
The Astana talks will assume a different approach, focusing strictly on military developments ahead of political discussions in Switzerland in February.
“The Russian, Turkish and Iranian approach is exactly the opposite of what was done in Geneva,” said Waddah Abd Rabbo, editor of the Al Watan daily, which is close to the government.
“The UN thought that if a political solution was reached, it would have an impact on the end of the fighting. But this time, the situation must be resolved on the ground to pave the way for political negotiations,” he said. Ahmad Ramadan, from the leading National Coalition opposition group, said the Astana talks would aim to reinforce the truce “while the details of the political process will be left to Geneva”.
Osama Abu Zeid, a legal adviser to rebel groups, said rebels were encouraged to attend by the fact that “the agenda will be focused only on the ceasefire” in force since December 30.
The opposition’s delegation to Astana “will be only military” but will consult “a team of legal and political advisers” from the High Negotiations Committee umbrella group, he said. Mr Abu Zeid said the Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, which changed its name from Jabhat Al Nusra after breaking away from Al Qa- eda, would not attend the Astana talks. US president- elect Donald Trump’s transition team has been invited, but has not yet officially responded.
Earlier this month, Syrian president Bashar Al Assad said he was “optimistic” about the talks and would be “ready for reconciliation with [rebels] on condition that they lay down their arms”.
Syria’s conflict began with pro- tests against Mr Al Assad in 2011, but became a war that has killed 310,000 people and spawned the rise of extremist groups like ISIL.
The group advanced yesterday around the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, cutting off the governments access route to a key nearby airport.
“The supply route to the airport is cut, and the city’s eastern half is cut off from its western half,” Observatory head Rami Abdelrahman said.
A military source said government forces carried out more than 20 air strikes on ISIL positions yesterday.
“ISIL has resorted to heavy use of infiltrators and huge reinforcements from Raqqa and western parts of Deir Ezzor province,” the source said.
Raqqa, to the north, is the de facto capital of the self-styled ca- liphate ISIL declared across Syria and Iraq more than two years ago.
ISIL controls more than half of Deir Ezzor and launched an offensive on Saturday to capture remaining government-held territory.
The Observatory said the assault has killed at least 28 government forces so far, as well as 40 ISIL fighters and 14 civilians.