Peace Moves On Syria – Moon of Alabama

June 9, 2014

Peace Moves On Syria

Some news with regard to Syria let me believe that there is a deal in the making to end or at least lower the level of the conflict.

Consider:

Syria's Assad grants amnesty after re-election

In a decree published by state media, Assad commuted some death sentences to life imprisonment, reduced jail terms for many offences and canceled some others altogether.

Foreigners who entered the country "to join a terrorist group or perpetrate a terrorist act" would receive an amnesty if they surrender to authorities within a month, the decree said. Kidnappers who free their hostages and army deserters would also be covered, it said.

This amnesty, especially for foreign fighters, comes just as the Iranian President Rouhani visits Turkey, the country that gives the main logistic support to those foreign fighters:

“Regional and international issues are on both countries’ agenda. Violence, radicalism, and the fight against terror are important issues Iran is following in the region and in the world. We will continue our dialogue and cooperation on this issue with all friendly countries. We will exchange views with Turkish officials during my talks today and tomorrow on issues such as violence, terrorism, sectarianism and radicalism, and on the ways to combat them.” Rouhani said in the press conference in Tehran.

Rouhani’s plane was carrying an Iranian delegation composed of one vice president, seven ministers and a number of businessmen.

Iran seems to offer business deals in exchange for less hostile Turkey position on Syria. But nothing will of course change unless the Saudis, the main financial supporter of the insurgency in Syria, cuts the money pipeline. That is where Russia comes in:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Saud al-Faisal discussed in a telephone conversation on Monday the developments in the Middle East, as well as the settlement of the ongoing conflict in Syria.
…
“Particular attention was paid to the task of political and diplomatic resolution of the crisis in Syria and other conflict situation in the region.”

The press service [of the Russian Foreign Ministry] added that the high-ranking diplomats also touched upon the issues of bilateral cooperation development in the trade and economic, as well as energy spheres.

Again the offer is business in exchange for less hostility. Maybe greed can win? The three above points together seem to be part of an initiative by Iran, Russia and Syria to move the other side away from its current position. It is not clear that such a move will work now but it is a good opening for further talks.

Meanwhile the so called opposition is doing its share to finish the conflict:

Deir Ezzor Province: 17 fighters from the Islamic battalion and 28 other at least from ISIS were killed in yesterday clashes in the village of Khasham and in south of Sor town in the western city of Deir Ezzor.

More of that please.

Posted by b on June 9, 2014 at 17:54 UTC | Permalink

Comments

The US/Saudi war on Syria should be seen as a war on Iran [Saudi..”cut off the head of the snake”[Iran] the Saudis are fearful of Iranian hegemony in the region,the US fear the same, the nuclear talks now taking place are not about nuclear weapons since all the US Intelligence agencies have said consistently, the Iranians are not nor do they want a nuclear weapon, all western sanctions have been about are weakening Iran economically and militarily, hence the introduction of Iran’s conventional missile systems into the equation. As proof of this Iran has had sanctions imposed on it since the Iranian revolution over 30 years ago, another US miscalculation is Iran’s ability to become self sufficient in military hardware and its ability to bypass sanctions, also the US planners were convinced Iran could not enrich from 4.5% to 20% but when Iran needed to do so for their many thousands of cancer patients, they did it and then offered to fabricate same as a token of good faith. It still remains to be seen if the US will do a deal, history proves the US will move the goalposts as they did in negotiating with North Korea, then they reneged on a deal to supply substantial amounts of oil with the promise of some light water reactors, the North Koreans confronted with US failure to deliver and its general arrogance went ahead and built their nuclear deterrent. The moral of the story is never trust the US, always assume the worst, and plan for the worst including a complete blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

Posted by: harry law | Jun 9 2014 18:35 utc | 1

I understand that the US wants to slap fines
on French banks of up to $10 billion for
what they call sanctions-busting regarding Iran and other countries.
Now $10 billion is a lot of money in anybodys language.
So Why should the French allow themselves to be dictated to as to
who they do business with?
Answer because of the US and the Israel lobby
(which rules both the US and France).
If Mrs Le Pen wants to show her credentials
as the effective leader of France
(morally, she did win the recent euro elections in France)
then she ought to tell the French Govt to stick it to both the
EU commission (they’re unelected anyway) and the US/UK Zionist camp
by making Frances interests #1
And then wait to see what the US/EU does next

Posted by: chris m | Jun 9 2014 19:03 utc | 2

I don’t think the Saudis can any longer be called “the main financial supporter of the insurgency in Syria”.
It seems to me that there has been a change in Saudi policy towards Syria. The royal family has realized that sponsoring and supporting jihadis in Syria is creating a monster that could turn on them one day. That is why Prince Bandar (behind the jihadi support policy) was ousted. It is also the reason for the current low point in relations with Qatar; the latter provide major funding to the jihadis in Syria.
The Saudi royals see Sisi’s Egypt as their mainstay after losing faith in the USA. Sisi is very anti-jihadi; I cannot see how the Saudis can still support them. There have also been signs of a thaw in relations between the Saudis and Iran; another sign of the changed policy. The Russians, who back Sisi, are also cosying up to the Saudis.

Posted by: FB Ali | Jun 9 2014 22:15 utc | 3

would be nice….. thanks for the first 3 comments on this thread also.

Posted by: james | Jun 9 2014 22:38 utc | 4

The ridicule of the UK policy in Syria

For Britain, pointlessness in Syria
June 10, 2014 12:11 AM
Last month British Foreign Minister William Hague unveiled his government’s latest big idea to achieve its goal of regime change in Syria and end the country’s bloody three-year civil war.
In response to a conflict that has now cost an estimated 160,000 lives, created more than 9 million refugees, destabilized large swathes of the Middle East and emboldened both Russia and China, Hague proudly announced the United Kingdom had “decided to upgrade the status of the Syrian National Coalition’s Representative Office in London to a ‘Mission.’”
You can imagine the fear this must have struck into what passes for Syrian President Bashar Assad’s heart
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2014/Jun-10/259502-for-britain-pointlessness-in-syria.ashx#ixzz34C9faKTN

Posted by: Virgile | Jun 10 2014 1:22 utc | 5

@FB ali
I agree with you. Saudi Arabia is having second thoughts about funding Islamists to topple Bashar al Assad.
Islamists have been funded unofficially by private donors in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait under the blind eyes of these governments.
Kuwait has recently sacked a Minister accused of facilitating this funding and Saudi Arabia and UAE are taking legal measure against any group helping extremists.
In addition Saudi Arabia has developped a strong hatred for Erdogan, a much bigger hatred than the one for Bashar Al Assad. Erdogan’s Turkey is seeing as a huge threat as it wants to take over the leadership of the Sunnis in the region and in Asia. Iran is not such a threat as it is leading only Shias of the region. They could agree on each other territory of action.
Saudi Arabia has been wishing that Bashar Al Assad be replaced, even by someone of the Baath party. just to have the chance to reintegrate Syria in the Arab world without loosing their face.
Now that Bashar al Assad is here to stay, the Saudis have to swallow their pride and find a new pretext leading to reconciliation.
I guess they have no choice as they do not want to see Syria becoming an exclusive Iranian ally. Bashar al Assad would be more than glad to see Saudi Arabia make a U-turn and support financially the reconstruction of Syria.
The ball is now in the Saudi’s camp.

Posted by: Virgile | Jun 10 2014 1:43 utc | 6

“But nothing will of course change unless the Saudis, the main financial supporter of the insurgency in Syria, cuts the money pipeline.”

This continues the propaganda that Saudi Arabia is an independent country, and not a colony of the NWO fascists (like claiming Vichy France was an independent country). For reference, here is the chain of command:
Saudi Arabia

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 10 2014 2:17 utc | 7

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 9, 2014 10:17:45 PM | 7
Apparently the equation I wrote out crossed some computer code rule. 😀
Saudi Arabia[less than]USA[less than]AIPAC.
Hopefully that will post normally.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 10 2014 2:21 utc | 8

I’d like to know if Assad dreamt up the idea of offering amnesties & pardons as incentives for Obama & BBC’s ‘rebels’ to surrender OR if it was Putin’s idea. It’s a VERY clever strategy. It gives the SAA the right, if not the obligation, to engage in wholesale slaughter of ‘rebels’ too stupid to get out of Syria while they still can…

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jun 10 2014 2:46 utc | 9

@ scalawag: AIPAC, seriously? And which USA are you talking about, the one owned by City of London banks? It’s the british empire that owns all of those and Saudi Arabia as well. The same empire that covertly runs all the “jihadist” movements (they created both salafists and MB back then) and also completely owns the plane carrier posing as “Israel” as well as all the Chicago boys.

Posted by: T2015 | Jun 10 2014 7:26 utc | 10

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