Arshi Khan

CEASEFIRE BY AMERICA AND RUSSIA IN SIRIYA

HISTORY Over Over the years, years, United United States-S States-Syri yrian an bilatera bilaterall relation relations s ranged ranged between between grudgin grudging g mutual accommodation and outright mutual hostility. ut even when the relationshi! was strained severely, the "undamental United States !olicy toward Syria with regard to the broader #rab-Israeli con"lict has remained consistent. The United States endorses United $ations Security %ouncil Resolution &'&, the im!lementation o" which would entail the return o" the Israeli-anne(ed )olan Heights to Syrian control. *or its !art, Syria has o"ten vehemently critici+ed #merican !olicy in the iddle ast. #t the same time, however, it has recogni+ed that Resolution &'& contains !rovisions in its "avor. Syria has been willing to negotiate with the United States over the #rab-Israeli con"lict and other regional issues, as long as the di!lomacy is conducted uietly and behind the scenes. Syria has also adhered scru!ulously to the commitments and !romises it has made to #merican negotiators. .In /une 0123, Syrian-United States relations im!roved dramatically when Syria interceded on behal" o" the United States a"ter the hi4ac5ing to eirut o" Trans 6orld  #irlines "light 2'7. 2'7. Reagan Reagan e(!ressed e(!ressed his a!!reciation a!!reciation o" Syria8s Syria8s role in securing securing release release o" the hostages, albeit in guarded language. Yet to some observers Syria8s ability to im!ose its will on the hi4ac5ers con"irmed Syrian lin5s to terrorism. #lthough Syria had been accused re!eatedly o" su!!orting 9alestinian terrorism against #merican, 6est uro!ean, and Israeli targets in the iddle ast and in 6estern uro!e, there had been little evidence, much less !roo", o" direct Syrian com!licity in terrorist attac5s against 6estern targets. However, when a /ordanian, $i+ar Hindawi, was a!!rehended on #!ril 07, 012:, a"ter  attem!ting to smuggle a bomb aboard an Israeli l #l #irlines !lane in ;ondon, he con"essed that Syrian intelligence o""icers had masterminded the abortive attac5 and

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that Syria had !rovided him with the training, logistical su!!ort, and e(!losives to carry 0

out the !lot. ritain re!ortedly collected evidence that corroborated Hindawi8s story. #s a conseuence, on ay :, 012:, B?

The most im!ortant uestion today is whether the U.S. and Russia, which have ventured to ta5e res!onsibility "or the "uture o" Syria, can stri5e the right balance between their !olitical !rinci!les, national interests, and humanitarian considerations.

Un"ortunately, the "ate o" Syria "alls more and more in the hands o" non-regional !owers, and there is no guarantee that "or Russia and the U.S., the !olitical !riority will be achieving !iece in the Syrian land, rather than, say, using war"are in Syria to in"lict indirect damage to each other in the conte(t o" %old 6ar &.L. In the latter case, which is, un"ortunately, more than li5ely, the new Syrian cease"ire will be as "ictional as all the !revious ones.>'?  The Syrian government and rebel grou!s continue to "ight "or !ositions on the eve o"  the truce, the cessation o" hostilities seems doomed to "ailure. Some o" the most contentious issues seem to have been !ushed to the bac5 burner by U.S., while a number o" sta5eholders, including Iran, were not !art o" the tal5s in )eneva.  #ll o" this "urther reduces the chances "or success. $either Russia nor the U.S. has any "alse illusions about the agreement, but arguably the cease"ire negotiated in )eneva may be the closest the world has been to !eace in Syria in the last "ive years.>3?

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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*  +UR+ /ARMAIN,’ CEASEFIRE IN SIRI+A-www.russia-dire!."r#  S+RIARE0ATION ,’www."u&!rs!udies.us  W2+ US 2AS TO KI00 S+RIA,’www.s!a!e#i-u3!ure."r#

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