Doubts, concerns greet Syria cease-fire deal as violence surges

Middle East

The U.S. and Russia reached a deal on Syria’s cease-fire. Here’s how it happened.

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The United States and Russia announced a new multi-step plan to bring Syria closer to a negotiated peace deal. (Jason Aldag, Karen DeYoung/The Washington Post)
By Liz Sly and Karen DeYoung September 10 at 10:15 PM

BEIRUT — The Syrian government embarked on a wave of intense airstrikes against opposition-controlled areas Saturday, killing scores of people only hours after the announcement of a new cease-fire deal between Russia and the United States.

The attacks, which killed more than 80 people in the rebel-held cities of Idlib and Aleppo, compounded skepticism expressed by the opposition that this deal will work where others have failed to end the war.

The agreement was announced early Saturday in Geneva by Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after months of haggling over details. It was hailed by the two leaders as a breakthrough in the quest to bring about a negotiated settlement to the five-year-old war.

The deal goes further than a more limited one that collapsed earlier this year because it places U.S.-Russian military cooperation in the fight against terrorism at the center of the effort to end Syria’s war.

If implemented in accordance with the vision outlined by Kerry at an overnight news conference with Lavrov in Geneva, the agreement will transform the battlefield and bring about much-needed relief from the relentless suffering.
Scenes from Aleppo
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The Syrian government has dropped two chlorine bombs in the past month on the besieged, rebel-held city.

Civilians will be protected from airstrikes, desperate communities will receive all the food and medicine they need, Russia and the United States will work together to vanquish terrorists and new negotiations will begin to secure an eventual end to the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his regime.

The deal does not, however, address the inherent contradictions that have scuttled past efforts to end the fighting — including the question of why Assad’s government would cooperate with a process that the United States insists is intended to lead to his departure, or whether Russia supports that goal.

It also does not explain why the group identified as the chief target of the proposed U.S. and Russian military cooperation would comply with a cease-fire intended to bring about its destruction. Kerry and Lavrov named as the main target of the proposed joint strikes the former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra — which has now rebranded itself as the Front for the Conquest of Syria, or Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.

The Syrian opposition said it would have to closely study the details of the deal before reaching a decision on whether to abide by it. The Syrian government had no immediate comment, though both Kerry and Lavrov said Russia had consulted Damascus and that Assad had given his assent.

[Battle for Aleppo may be the most crucial of the Syrian civil war]

Meanwhile, battles erupted across Syria as both sides took advantage of what may be the last opportunity to kill opponents and grab territory ahead of the implementation of the cease-fire, due to begin Monday.

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Warplanes struck a busy market in the northern city of Idlib, killing at least 36 people, according to activists and the human rights monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Government planes also carried out strikes over multiple neighborhoods in the city of Aleppo, killing at least 45. Government forces seized more territory outside Aleppo, tightening the siege of opposition areas, according to the Syrian news agency SANA.

Residents of rebel-controlled eastern Aleppo expressed dismay that the cease-fire deal was reached only after government loyalists had succeeded in imposing a total siege of opposition areas by seizing control of the last rebel-controlled route Sunday. The agreement freezes the current front lines and therefore the siege in place, sending a message that the government blockade of Aleppo has a stamp of international approval, said Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, a resident of the rebel-held area.

“They waited until Assad and Russia besieged Aleppo and then they reached a cease-fire,” he said. “People are disgusted.”

Syrian rebels announced a new offensive against government forces in the southern province of Quneitra. In a reminder of the complexity of the war, Israeli warplanes bombed Syrian government positions there because stray shells landed inside Israel, the Israeli army said.

Opposition spokeswoman Bassma Kodmani said there are many outstanding questions raised by the agreement. Foremost is the question of whether there are meaningful enforcement mechanisms to deter the government from continuing to bombard civilians and regain territory from rebel groups.

“The regime needs to be forced to comply and have a commitment from Russia that the regime will be forced to comply,” she said. “If there are no consequences to noncompliance, we are back to counting on the goodwill of a party that has never shown any goodwill.”

There are parts of the agreement that have not been made public, both Kerry and Lavrov said, including five documents that go into the specifics of its implementation. Kerry acknowledged the concerns, but said the deal had “potential” to work because of the efforts Moscow and Washington have put into it over many months. “No one is building this based on trust. It is based on a way of providing oversight and compliance through mutual interest,” he said.

[10 new wars that could be unleashed as a result of the one against ISIS]

The success of the deal will depend, however, on the extent to which both parties can influence their allies on the ground in Syria to comply with its terms.

According to the details spelled out in Geneva, after seven consecutive days of calm and the delivery of humanitarian aid, the United States and Russia will start working on a plan to carry out coordinated air attacks against terrorist groups — notably Jabhat Fatah al-Sham as well as the Islamic State. Moderate rebels will be expected to disentangle themselves from the former Nusra group or face airstrikes themselves. The Syrian government will be allowed to resume its airstrikes in areas that have yet to be agreed on.

Joint action with the United States has been a long-standing Russian demand, and this part of the proposal may give Moscow more of an incentive to pressure the Syrian government to comply with the cease-fire than it had in the past.

But the disentanglement requirement could further complicate implementation of the deal, said Faysal Itani of the Atlantic Council. For the opposition, “it means entering a confrontation it cannot win or risk coming under attack itself by the United States and or Russia,” he said. “At the end of the day, in the absence of enforcement mechanisms, anything that weakens the opposition strengthens the regime.”

Syrian rebels generally don’t cooperate with Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, said Mohib Abdulsalam, a rebel with the Aleppo Revolutionaries, a moderate group. “It’s a good deal if it actually happens,” he said. “But politicians say a lot of things about Syria and they don’t implement them.”

Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul and Heba Habib in Stockholm contributed to this report.

Liz Sly is the Post’s Beirut bureau chief. She has spent more than 15 years covering the Middle East, including the Iraq war. Other postings include Africa, China and Afghanistan.
Follow @LizSly
Karen DeYoung is associate editor and senior national security correspondent for the Washington Post.
Follow @karendeyoung1
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U.S., Russia reach deal on cease-fire in Syria
If the truce holds for seven days and humanitarian aid flows unimpeded, the U.S. and Russia will coordinate intelligence and attacks against agreed targets.

And I thought Trump was Putin’s Useful Fool, looks like Kerry is more so. It is like Lucy and Charlie Brown, where Charlie Brown never learns that Lucy will pull the football away just before Charlie Brown goes to kick it. A glutton for punishment. Sit back and watch the show, which we sadly already know the ending for. However the truly sad thing here is that Kerry will suffer nothing, just going back for one more fix of “dupe”, while the children of Syria will do the suffering for him. This isn’t foreign relations, it isn’t nation building, it is status quo which does no one any good. If the rebels violate the ceasefire Putin can go after them, but if Assad does the US does not? How absurd to think these consequences are effective, they are a joke. Why even waste the time? This is all for appearance’s sake. And it is likely to make things worse.

Putin is going to get Assad to stop being Assad? Putin is not going to go back on his agreement? The US is going to hold sway over all the Rebel forces? Is this some fairy tale for the media? A little story we are all supposed to obediently play along with and deny reality? Not all are such useful fools, such false accords do more damage, than good. Shame on you, Kerry. Honor the loss the Syrians have gone through and seek ends for purposes of peace and protection of Syrian children, not appearance which only allows you to save face for the day.
I think the premises of our constitution do a little to hold us to values, whether or not we are always capable to living up to them, we do have an obligation which prompts us to do our best in the long run. Putin thrives on deception, it is his mode of operation. I hardly think he cares about the suffering in Syria. It is a game to him, like it is to Assad, a game they need to win at any cost.

And the Arabs need to learn to put their hostilities aside and start compromising and negotiating with each other, need to learn to live together side by side in tolerance and hospitable goodwill of good neighbors. It is holiday for them after all. They should be celebrating with each other instead of
Height of arrogance. Two superpower countries who are NOT in Syria evidently believe that they can negotiate a cease-fire, which will cause the myriad groups fighting each actually who are actually, ya know, IN Syria, to stop fighting each other for power and control of that region. Absurd. Assad, Al Nusra Front, the Kurds / Peshmerga, ISIS, Hezbollah, Turkey, Al quaeda, and the many many other rebel groups fighting over there couldn’t give a rat’s butt what anyone else outside the region does, at least not directly / immediately. This might have the effect of targeting ISIS more and Assad and others less (which is a good thing), but it won’t have any real effect in the end.
To CLARIFY my attitude. To end the rift between NATO and Russia, and, in fact, enable Russia to join both NATO and the EU is the most important geopolitical result. The Syrian conflict’s MAIN importance is that it opens the way for the resolution of conflicts between NATO and Russia. Russia is MORE threatened by Islamism than NATO. Russia has reacted with hurt pride (but irrationally) to NATO’s eastward expansion. This was a SERIOUS ERROR by NATO that must be CORRECTED. One way to start restoring Russian self-respect is to side with it in the Middle East. Another way is to not take sides with extreme Ukrainian nationalists. The deal should be: no Ukraine in either NATO or the EU until Russia is in! Plus: Crimea ceded to Russia. Then offer economic goodies to Russia for each step toward cooperation. The Middle East is ENTIRELY SECONDARY. We don’t need Arab oil. Arabs have no independent industrial power. And ONCE Russia becomes part of “the West”, the westernization of the Arabs (and Persians) will be so much easier.
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wiweyifite
10:38 AM PDT
Ha ha Russia doesn’t want to be part of the West. It wants it’s historical illusion of greatness and to expand it’s borders and influence, even down into the middle east like it did in past history, down into Iran, Turkey and Syria.

Ukraine wants to be Western, part of EU and NATO. Russia does not silly tarated. It is not hurt pride that motivates Putin it is restoration of old conquered lands, which Putin wants back as that is what he sees makes Russia great. He isn’t even interested in commerce and global economics, just primitive dominance based on taking over land and people. Nationalism which destroys playing nice with your neighbors.
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Main Street
7:33 AM PDT
“Doubts”—-Let’s objectively consider what Kerry and Lavrov would talk about as a settlement. Israel and the US destabilized Syria to “protect Israel’s security”(stated in Clinton’s hacked Email) with the intention of a Coup and Regime change installing a puppet Government suitable to Israel and Washington.—–The big question is: Does Kerry honestly believe he can still get the Syrian Government and their Allies Russia/Iran to accept a regime change of their choosing after 400,000 have been killed w/ over a million Syrians losing their homes, Country, and way of life ? (The Coup has failed) Perhaps as a way to peace, Zionist Israel will give up occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights which they have refused to give back. (Probably because Israel has discovered one of the largest Oil Reserves in the World on Syria’s Golan Heights)
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Main Street
7:40 AM PDT
Addendum: before the AIPAC Gang attacks me, I am not anti Semitic, however I am ‘big time’ Anti Zionist.
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tarated
8:01 AM PDT
Me too. Not anti-Jewish. I believe we should DEFEND Israel – within the REASONABLE borders with Palestine!
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Main Street
8:07 AM PDT
I agree Tarated !
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tarated
8:11 AM PDT
I prefer the Israeli Labor Party. I want to see Bibi down on his KNEES. I want a SAFE Israel and a SAFE Palestine. No more Arab OR Jew NONSENSE! Settle-down – and become GOOD LITTLE WESTERN CONSUMERS.
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tarated
7:55 AM PDT
There is SOME truth to this. But a big EXCEPTION, in that, when Obama DISCOVERED the extent of the Israeli involvement and the SUNNI ISLAMIST nature of the “Free Syrian Army”, he “backed-off” supporting them. Wisely. While local US intelligence operatives were initially “involved” in the beginnings of the Syrian revolt, it was the Israelis and the Saudis who were the main initiators. Watch, carefully now, as Obama manages to move over into a common front with Russia to defeat all the Islamists – and frustrate the Israelis. This will be the RIGHT choice.
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wiweyifite
10:44 AM PDT
Your so off base. Obama has no need to “defeat all the Islamists”, Obama is no xenophobic like Putin, but multicultural. Pluralism works in the US, it is an asset. You have an agenda – it is Russia, not Syria. If you truly cared about Syria, you would see it is pluralistic and the real solution would be to preserve that, in peace.
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tarated
8:16 AM PDT [Edited]
No. The Golan Heights overlook too much of northern Israel. The Israelis should keep them. But they must share the revenue from any Golan resources with Syria. Let me clarify: Because the Israelis are more westernized than the Arabs, I PREFER them. It is simply a matter of CONTROLLING them! And removing their nukes.
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Main Street
10:35 AM PDT
makes sense
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LillieZ
7:23 AM PDT
Mostly all media ignores the U.S. role in instigating the conflict…
In 2012 the Washington Post and other media reported on a leaked diplomatic cable that revealed that since 2006 the U.S. has been working to destabilize Syria, wanting regime change:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-secretly-b…
http://www.truth-out.org/progressivepicks/item/331…
At the beginning of the Syrian uprising, the U.S./ CIA working with Saudi Arabia probably infiltrated extremists into local dissident groups to foment violence, which was then encouraged by U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, who, like all Washington neocon types, expected the U.S. to do to Syria, what it had done to Libya.
Russia and China vetoed the necessary UN Security Council resolution so there was no basis under international law for intervention.
The U.S. has disregarded international law and armed those rebelling against the
internationally recognized government of Syria.

To make such regime change respectable, Assad has to be demonized, despite his having the support of a majority of Syrians.
Assad agreed to torture for the U.S. during the Iraq war, but he is not agreeable to all U.S. geopolitical goals.
To appease Saudi Arabia and Israel, and to enable Qatar to run a natural gas pipeline through Syria to cut Russia out of the lucrative EU market, the U.S. intends to replace Assad with a submissive Sunni puppet.

As to the unending references to Assad’s barrel bombs, most Syrians on all sides are killed with artillery.
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Main Street
7:56 AM PDT
Hi Lillie ! (Good comment) I tried to bring up the Links (came up broken)
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tarated
7:58 AM PDT
Again, the old story about the gas pipeline. Ridiculous. The pipeline could be more EASILY run through Israel to the Med or on through Lebanon to Turkey. This is all about a Zionist plot to keep the Arabs divided. Nothing else.
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Main Street
8:04 AM PDT
Hi Tarated ! You have nailed the “plotters”—They are the bad apple in the US barrel & the basic cause of the fires burning in the Middle East.
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wiweyifite
10:48 AM PDT
Assad in a minority Alawite, he is NOT supported by the majority of Syrians. He also does slaughter his own people.
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tarated
6:36 AM PDT
This may be the beginning of yet wider agreement between Russia and the US. Just reducing the slaughter during this final stretch of the US election will help Clinton. Then, after the American Jews have voted (most for Clinton and Democrats), Obama can then afford to join the Russians to wipe-out the Islamist rebels. The Syrian rebellion most serves the interests of Netanyhu. It keeps the Arabs divided, it keeps Russia and the US divided. It prevents strong pressure upon Israel to reach a Palestine two-state solution. It is time to put an end to this extremist Zionist obstruction. The TAIL (Israel) must not wag the DOG (USA). BOTH Russia and the US want a SECULAR, WESTERNIZED Middle East.
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wiweyifite
10:54 AM PDT
Don’t blame the Israeli’s for historical pre Isreal, sunni – shite divide, only people who will buy that are the uniformed. This Syrian conflict aids Putin who is using it as a tool to advance his influence and territorial aims in the middle east. This is an internal Arab conflict that has been aggravated by the Arab’s own inability to compromise, negotiate make peace between themselves. It will only be resolved when they start excepting differences, start living in tolerance and value peace and prosperity for their children with honor for their neighbor.
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Randy Horton
6:02 AM PDT
Obama’s legacy.
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zaa
6:01 AM PDT
With the track record of the two parties – Putin do what’s to their advantage, Kerry will issue clarifying statements
President will rightfully boil in cold water.
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zaa
6:01 AM PDT
With the track record of the two parties – Putin do what’s to their advantage, Kerry will issue clarifying statements
President will rightfully boil in cold water.
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Will Wicks
5:58 AM PDT
I just wonder what and how much the appeaser in chief and his tool, Kerry, gave up to get their headlines on this. Did they send more planeloads of cash?
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tarated
8:04 AM PDT
Would you have preferred planeloads of dead American soldiers coming in the opposite direction? Do YOU have a plan to westernize the Arabs? Will YOU control the Israelis?
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stella667
5:14 AM PDT
Bombing rebels ahead of a peace plan is old hat, meant to give the air power an advantage at the negotiating table. Thanks for playing
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Bingo777
4:24 AM PDT
Give all parties credit for trying to end the madness of Syria. We have a responsibility to help and Kerry is trying. So, thanks and if it works allow the man to retire. He wants a big win I opine….!
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wiweyifite
10:59 AM PDT
He likely made things worse with a failed appearances only agreement that has no teeth, no reality and no hope.

Whatever. You don’t play something like this up and then leave the table/retire and think it is going to work. Ha ha. You stick around for the entire course of it to even have hopes of making it work.

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R-Silverman2-10
9/10/2016 11:04 PM PDT
America should just get out of this mess in Syria. We have enough problems at home. We should start rebuilding cities like Detroit, East St. Louis and other crumbling cities. Why are we there and why are we continuously wasting money in this region? Unfortunately, we have two clowns (not the cute cuddly ones but those that star in horror flicks) vying for the office of the Presidency and they will continue, if not expand, this insane foreign policy.
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Chuck Harris Hitchens Darwin
10:20 AM PDT
Hear Hear, and R’Amen!!!!
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wiweyifite
11:03 AM PDT
You ever been to Detroit? You know the place where the underwear bomber flew into, where it’s suburbs house one of the largest middle eastern populations in the US? Don’t get me wrong, I am all about fixing the domestic violence issues, especially in places like Chicago, but it is about balance and remembering we are of an international origin. We aren’t xenophobic and heterogeneous across the nation like Putin’s Russia. We are interrelated and have to work on all problems simultaneously. Stick your head in the sand and you will be exposing your behind.
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nabeelo
9/10/2016 9:45 PM PDT
Kerry begged Lavrov to give USA a share of Syrian crisis!!! USA is helpless and unable to deal with any problem along the world??
USA caused more death and destruction in Syria, shared with criminal Putin.
USA is no more USA of JFK !!??
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moebius22
9/10/2016 9:20 PM PDT
The Russians proxies resumed their blockade of Aleppo before they agreed to the cease fire, LOL
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tarated
8:06 AM PDT
The best thing for the Syrians, the Russians and the US is for Aleppo to SURRENDER to Assad! They are Islamists.
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wiweyifite
11:06 AM PDT
Are you xenophobic? Not all Islamists are terrorists.
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