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UP FRONTWednesday 24 February
Proposed truce accepted by Syrian government, opposition
ALBERT AJI branch known as the Nusra Syrian men pose for a picture as they gather in the Marjeh square in Damascus, Syria, Tues-
BASSEM MROUE Front, or any other militia day, Feb. 23, 2016. The Syrian government and the main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel
Associated Press designated as a terrorist or- groups announced on Tuesday they both conditionally accept a proposed U.S.-Russian cease fire
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ganization by the U.N. Se- that the international community hopes will bring them back to the negotiating table in Geneva
— Syria’s government on curity Council. for talks to end the war.
Tuesday accepted a pro- But exactly where along
posed U.S.-Russian cease- Syria’s complicated front (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
fire that is to go into effect lines the fighting would
later this week, but reserved stop and where counter-
the right to respond to any terrorism operations could
violations of the truce. The continue under the truce
main opposition and rebel is still to be addressed. The
umbrella group approved five-page plan released by
the deal but set its own the U.S. State Department
conditions. also leaves open how
The developments fol- cease-fire breaches would
lowed an agreement be- be dealt with.
tween Washington and While accepting the pro-
Moscow for a new cease- posed truce, the Syrian For-
fire set to take effect at eign Ministry said its opera-
midnight Friday local time tions will continue against
in the 5-year-old civil war, IS, the Nusra Front and
even as major questions “other terrorist groups.” It
over enforcement remain also stressed the right of its
unresolved. The truce does armed forces “to retaliate
not cover the Islamic State against any violation car-
group, Syria’s al-Qaida ried out by these groups.”
Cabinet minister Ali Haidar fore the Senate Foreign Re-
said the government will re- lations Committee.
spect the cease-fire in prin- The Russian military said it
ciple, although he could has set up a coordination
not “speak on behalf of the center to help enforce the
armed groups.” cease-fire. The center is
“Violations will happen located at Syria’s Hemei-
from other parties and meem air base, which hosts
not from the Syrian state’s Russian warplanes, said De-
side,” Haidar told The As- fense Ministry spokesman
sociated Press after talks in Maj.-Gen. Igor Konash-
Damascus with Peter Mau- enkov, adding that it was
rer, the president of the In- established in line with the
ternational Committee of U.S.-Russian agreement.
the Red Cross. The main Its purpose, Konashenkov
umbrella for Syrian opposi- said, would be to help or-
tion and rebel groups, the ganize cease-fire nego-
High Negotiations Commit- tiations between the Syrian
tee, gave conditional ap- government and the op-
proval late Monday. The position. Russia has given
HNC said acceptance was out its hotline numbers for
conditional on the govern- enforcing the truce to the
ment ending its siege of 18 U.S., he added.
rebel-held areas, releas- Some Syrians in the north-
ing detainees and halting ern town of Qamishli ex-
aerial and artillery bom- pressed skepticism that the
bardment. However, Talal truce would hold.
Sillo, a spokesman for the “If the international com-
predominantly Kurdish Syr- munity had wanted to stop
ia Democratic Forces, told the bloodshed, the killing
the AP that his group will and shelling, this could
not abide by the truce be- have happened three or
cause it’s fighting against four years ago,” Bakr Safir
the Islamic State group in told the newsgathering
northern Syria. Arab agency Arab24.
U.S. Secretary of State John U.N. envoy Staffan de Mis-
Kerry said won’t vouch for tura halted the latest Syria
the success of the agree- talks in Geneva on Feb. 3
ment but said it’s the best because of major differ-
pathway for ending the ences between the two
bloodshed. sides, exacerbated by in-
“I’m not going to say this creased bombings and a
process is sure to work be- large-scale government
cause I don’t know,” Kerry offensive near the northern
testified in Washington be- city of Aleppo.q