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A picture taken from a window in Syria showing bullet holes marks throughout the building, Reuters


The West Warns Assad’s Step down Might Not Be Thorough Mimicking Yemen’s Saleh

by | Apr 18, 2016 | Middle East |

The West Warns Assad’s Step down Might Not Be Thorough Mimicking Yemen’s Saleh

Geneva-Meanwhile the Syrian Opposition threatens its withdrawal from the current Syrian peace talks in Geneva, for reasons of negotiations not directly addressing political transition, other Western diplomatic sources reached by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper warned of imposing a solution for the Syrian crisis which only removes Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad merely from authority, in comparison to what had happened in Yemen in the case of Ali Abdullah Saleh.

After Saleh had stepped down from presidency, he maintained control over armed factions and forces alongside many other political mainstream powers which gave him leverage over negotiations. Sources say that such a solution would only harm the process of political transition in Syria.

Taking advantage of difficult times, the government in Israel convened its usual session held in the Golan Heights, and has afterwards resolved to acknowledge its occupation of the Heights.

The decision was seen to exploit the deteriorating state-of-affairs in Syria and to seek the Israeli government’s cut of the spoils of war.

In light of efforts for a Syrian solution, U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura is expected to meet Bashar Jaafari, current Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, for their second meeting in the round of deliberations which are expected to end this Friday.

Jaafari, after the first meeting, already told the press that de Mistura had carried forth the regime’s commentary on a document of the principles of solution which he received after the ending of the last round of the first Geneva negotiations; de Mistura gave Jaafari the weekend to think over the propositions entailed by the document.

Observers, keeping an eye close on developments, stress on the importance of knowing whether Jaafari will keep to only talking of principles of a political solution or will he –finally- begin implementing them.

Syria’s opposition High Negotiations Committee’s (HNC) leader Riad Hijab is expected to hold a press conference today, as to portray his vision overlooking the current negotiations, to what has been or has not been achieved.

De Mistura is also expected to meet the opposition’s delegation as to keep to the diplomatic routine he has adopted since the negotiation’s launch in March 2015.