Memorandum Creating De-Escalation Zones in
Syria
By
Stephen Lendman
May
06, 2017 "Information
Clearing House"
- The agreement reached by Russia,
Iran and Turkey, created four de-escalation
zones effective May 5, prohibiting ground
and aerial operations by all parties.
Washington isn’t part of the agreement, the
fly in the ointment, likely undermining it
because it wants endless war and regime
change, not diplomatic resolution.
The
Pentagon supports halting all aerial
operations except its own, saying it’ll
continue combating ISIS, the scourge it
supports - pretending otherwise, fooling no
one.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, its
chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov
and US Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Joseph
Dunford discussed the de-escalation plan by
phone.
US
agreements aren’t worth the paper they’re
written on or verbal commitments made.
Following their discussion, a Russian
Defense Ministry statement left unexplained
what Dunford may or may not have said about
Moscow’s de-escalation plan.
It
takes a giant leap of faith to think US
policy will turn a new leaf in Syria, what
it rejects in all its war theaters - seeking
conflict resolution, ceasing support for
ISIS and other terrorist groups, along with
cooperating with Russia in combating them.
Below is the
memorandum
agreed to by Russia, Iran and Turkey on
establishing de-escalation zones in Syria -
as it appears on Russia’s Foreign Ministry
web site.
It’s
represents a forthright commitment by Moscow
and Tehran. Turkey is consistently
unreliable. Washington and its other rogue
allies can never be trusted.
“Memorandum
on the creation of de-escalation areas in
the Syrian Arab Republic
The
Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian
Federation and the Republic of Turkey as
guarantors of the observance of the
ceasefire regime in the Syrian Arab Republic
(hereinafter referred to as “Guarantors”):
—
guided by the provisions of UNSC resolution
2254 (2015);
—
reaffirming their strong commitment to the
sovereignty, independence, unity and
territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab
Republic;
—
expressing their determination to decrease
the level of military tensions and to
provide for the security of civilians in the
Syrian Arab Republic, have agreed on the
following.
1. the
following de-escalation areas shall be
created with the aim to put a prompt end to
violence, improve the humanitarian situation
and create favorable conditions to advance
political settlement of the conflict in the
Syrian Arab Republic:
—
Idlib province and certain parts of the
neighbouring provinces (Latakia, Hama and
Aleppo provinces);
—
certain parts in the north of Homs
province;
— in
eastern Ghouta;
—
certain parts of southern Syria (Deraa and
Al-Quneitra provinces).
The
creation of the de-escalation areas and
security zones is a temporary measure, the
duration of which will initially be 6 months
and will be automatically extended on the
basis of consensus of the Guarantors.
2.
Within the lines of the de-escalation areas:
—
hostilities between the conflicting parties
(the government of the Syrian Arab Republic
and the armed opposition groups that have
joined and will join the ceasefire regime)
with the use of any kinds of weapons,
including aerial assets, shall be ceased;
—
rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian
access shall be provided;
—
conditions to deliver medical aid to local
population and to meet basic needs of
civilians shall be created;
—
measures to restore basic infrastructure
facilities, starting with water supply and
electricity distribution networks, shall be
taken;
—
conditions for the safe and voluntary return
of refugees and internally displaced persons
shall be created.
3.
Along the lines of the de-escalation areas,
security zones shall be established in order
to prevent incidents and military
confrontations between the conflicting
parties.
4. The
security zones shall include:
—
Checkpoints to ensure unhindered movement of
unarmed civilians and delivery of
humanitarian assistance as well as to
facilitate economic activities;
—
Observation posts to ensure compliance with
the provisions of the ceasefire regime.
The
functioning of the checkpoints and
observation posts as well as the
administration of the security zones shall
be ensured by the forces of the Guarantors
by consensus. Third parties might be
deployed, if necessary, by consensus of the
Guarantors.
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5. The
Guarantors shall:
— take
all necessary measures to ensure the
fulfillment by the conflicting parties of
the ceasefire regime;
— take
all necessary measures to continue the fight
against DAESH/ISIL, Nusra Front and all
other individuals, groups, undertakings and
entities associated with Al-Qaeda or DAESH/ISIL
as designated by the UN Security Council
within and outside the de-escalation areas;
—
continue efforts to include in the ceasefire
regime armed opposition groups that have not
yet joined the ceasefire regime.
6. The
Guarantors shall in 2 weeks after signing
the Memorandum form a Joint working group on
de-escalation (hereinafter referred to as
the “Joint Working Group”) composed of their
authorized representatives in order to
delineate the lines of the de-escalation
areas and security zones as well as to
resolve other operational and technical
issues related to the implementation of the
Memorandum.
The
Guarantors shall take steps to complete by 4
June 2017 the preparation of the maps of the
de-escalation areas and security zones and
to separate the armed opposition groups from
the terrorist groups mentioned in para.5 of
the Memorandum.
The
Joint Working Group shall prepare by the
above-mentioned date the maps of the
de-escalation areas and security zones to be
agreed by consensus of the Guarantors as
well as the draft Regulation of the Joint
Working Group.
The
Joint Working Group shall report on its
activities to the high-level international
meetings on Syria held in Astana.
The
present Memorandum enters into force the
next day after its signing.
Done
in Astana, 4 May 2017 in three copies in
English, having equal legal force.
Signatures
Islamic Republic of Iran Russian
Federation Republic of Turkey
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be
reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net - His new
book as editor and contributor is titled
"Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for
Hegemony Risks WW III."
The
views expressed in this article are solely those
of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of Information Clearing House.
De-Escalation Zones And Advance On Deir Ezzor
