(Israel Hayom) Eyal Zisser - The Russian and American foreign ministers have announced for the umpteenth time that a deal has been reached to end the war in Syria. A glance at the details of the agreement reveals a lack of real content and a near-zero chance of implementation. First, the deal fails to include a large portion of the rebel camp, most notably the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, and we can assume that the Syrian regime will be quick to violate the terms of the deal. Second, the agreement does not include any framework or practical steps to advance a political process. The important part of the deal is the Russian-American declaration of a joint effort to combat terrorism. But Islamic State is not among the Russians' list of priorities in Syria. They are instead concerned about the moderate rebel groups that the U.S. supports, and which pose a threat to Assad's rule in western Syria. The writer, Vice Rector at Tel Aviv University, is former director of its Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.
2016-09-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive