Staring Into Syria’s Diplomatic Fog

The Century Foundation ^ | January 06, 2017 | Aron Lund

[Texas Fossil]

Syria enters 2017 in a state of diplomatic confusion. On December 30, a truce agreement brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran came into effect. It was endorsed by the UN Security Council on the following day and has been blessed by the United States, but war still rages in many areas of the country.

Meanwhile, the gaze of the international community has turned to an unlikely location: Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, where Russia is trying to organize Syrian political negotiations backed by Turkey and Iran. The Astana meeting has been scheduled for January 23, before the resumption of the UN-led Geneva III peace talks on February 8, but despite a frenzied diplomatic activity between Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara, there is so far little clarity on what the talks are going to be about. No one expects a solution to the crisis to magically pop out of Kazakhstan, but surely one might assume there is some plan beyond talking for the sake of talking. >More

[Texas Fossil]

Today I read that Turkey had taken 60 m of village Qermîtliq, cut down 1300 olive trees to build seperation wall between Turkey and Syria. In the process of researching this I found a recent article that seems to be aware of the interplay of forces in Northern Syria.

I agree with most of the assessment. It appears to indicate that powers that be are waiting on Trump to become involved. If so, i totally approve.

[Texas Fossil]

Here is a photo> pic.twitter.com/Fa0sB9YMol

[odds]

More is happening within Turkey itself.

“Turkey’s parliament approved key articles of a constitutional reform overnight that would allow the president to be a member of a political party and issue decrees, bringing a step closer the executive presidency sought by Tayyip Erdogan.” — 14 January 2017

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan-parliament-approves-latest-round-constitutional-reforms-a7525841.html

All Turkish secularists are furious about this.

[Texas Fossil]

Yep.

Dick Tator