| Peace in our time. |
The announcement follows the retaking of all of Aleppo, once Syria’s industrial capital and a stronghold of the opposition, by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, and negotiations in Moscow that involved Mr. Assad’s government, Russia, Iran and Turkey — but, pointedly, not the United States.
Not included in the agreement is the Islamic State, which controls territory in eastern Syria and across the border with Iraq; the Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda, which is strongest in the country’s northwest; and “groups linked to them.”
It was not clear which of the scores of rebel groups scattered across Syria had agreed to the cease-fire, nor whether those that had not been consulted would abide by it.
| That assumes Rooshuns would 'consult' anyone, which isn't likely... |
It was also unclear what criteria the Syrian military and its Russian allies would use to define groups “linked” to the jihadists. In the past, they have dismissed much of the armed opposition as “terrorists” who could not be distinguished from jihadist groups.
Russia, Mr. Assad’s backer, and Turkey, which supports some of the rebels, will guarantee the truce, to begin at midnight on Thursday, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said. Minutes later, the Syrian military said it would halt operations nationwide starting at midnight.
The two sides actually signed three agreements, Mr. Putin said: the cease-fire itself; an agreement detailing how it would be carried out; and a third expressing readiness to begin peace talks for a settlement to the conflict. Mr. Putin said that Mr. Assad’s government and the opposition would take part in peace talks in Kazakhstan, but he did not announce a date.
The Russian defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, said the truce would include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria, and that the Russian military had set up a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to allow immediate communication about the truce and whether it was being met.
| And whom to kill... |
The cease-fire agreement appeared to reflect the changed geopolitical reality since Donald J. Trump’s election as president of the United States. Mr. Trump has called President Obama’s Syria policies a failure and has backed the removal of remaining support for Syrian rebels, vowing to make fighting terrorism virtually the entirety of his administration’s Syria policy.
| Prior to that, NYT, it reflects the complete failure of the 'red line' put forward by Champ. He failed to honor his words and so Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iran decided that they were free to do whatever they wanted, including war. Mr. Trump correctly recognizes the failure, and understands that not only has the horse left the barn, the horse has been shot and the barn has been razed. That's why he isn't going stand up for the Syrian rebels, a fair number of whom are as odious as Pencilneck himself. |
“I would hope that, after the Donald Trump administration takes office, it will also be able to join these efforts,” Mr. Lavrov said at the meeting, shown on state-run television.
| I expect Trump to give Assad a cold shoulder. |
| Don't count on it... |