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Nationwide ceasefire in Syria, productive, positive: Expert

Sunday, 01 January 2017 5:55 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 01 January 2017 5:55 PM ]

Syrian children walk in the militant-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus, on December 30, 2016, on the first day of a nationwide truce. (Photo by AFP)

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution endorsing a ceasefire agreement in Syria, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey. The nationwide ceasefire in Syria, which came into effect on Thursday midnight, has been largely holding, with most of the country witnessing a relative calm.

An author and Middle East expert believes this is the most “productive” and “positive” truce in Syria, adding that this time there is a chance of making progress towards peace in the war-torn country.

“There are a number of reasons for that. ...Turkey seems to have gotten serious about this and perhaps broken with their NATO overseers as a result of the coup attempt that has been blamed on Fethullah Gulen, who is clearly an American asset, he is CIA-linked and he is living in Pennsylvania and that probably had something to do with Turkey getting loosened up a bit from its NATO overlords and being willing to talk honestly with Russia and Iran,” Kevin Barrett told Press TV in an interview on Sunday.

He stated that this truce has a far higher chance of success than any previous agreement, asserting that probably the biggest factor is that Turkey has joined the forces that want peace and stability in Syria.

However, he said, the neoconservatives, who have a powerful position in NATO and are linked to the extremists in Israel, will come up with some of their usual tricks to continue the war in order to keep Syria destabilized.

Barrett further hailed the United Nations vote decrying Israeli settlements, which angered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its resolution endorsing the Syrian peace process that has quite a chance of success.

According to the expert, a “relatively” good compliance with the ceasefire is conceivable, although a perfect one cannot be expected.

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