GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION ACCEPT CEASEFIRE
DAMASCUS The Syrian government and the main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups announced Tuesday they both conditionally accept a proposed U. S.Russian ceasefire that the international community hopes will bring them back to the negotiating table in Geneva for talks to end the war.
The announcement came after the United States and Russia agreed on a new ceasefire for Syria that will take effect Saturday, even as major questions over its enforcement have been left unresolved.
The truce will not cover ISIL, Syria’s al- Qaidabranch known as the Nusra Front, or any other militia designated as a terrorist organization by the UN Security Council.
But exactly where the fighting would stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue are also still to be addressed. The plan released by the U.S. State Department l eaves open how breaches of the ceasefire will be identified or punished.