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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria: UN Calls for 'Aleppo Scenario' in Idlib, Russia Returns to Sochi
2019-08-05
[AAWSAT] Russia and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
are cooperating once again to implement the Sochi Agreement in Idlib after failing with Damascus to achieve rapid military progress in northwest Syria.

Talks between Moscow and Ankara were launched to agree on the cease-fire after each party increased their demands. Turkey hinted at supporting the demand of opposition factions calling for the withdrawal of government forces to the deployment lines agreed on before recent military escalation.

Moscow and Damascus held the Ottoman Turkish side responsible for the implementation accord struck in the Russian resort of Sochi to withdraw heavy and medium weapons from the buffer zone in northwestern Syria.

Several Russian officials increased their demands for the implementation of the remaining terms of Sochi Agreement within 24 hours, especially regarding the highway between Hama and Aleppo.

Three months after the military offensive, government forces did not make strategic progress, and the UN says at least 450 non-combatants were killed and over 440,000 others displaced.

Earlier, Damascus announced a "conditional truce" that included cease-fire in the de-escalation zone in Idlib, on condition Death Eaters and opposition groups withdraw forces and weaponry from a buffer zone as per Sochi.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS), which controls Idlib province, warned in a statement that it would not abide by a cease-fire if its areas were targeted.

Western diplomatic sources told Asharq al-Awsat if a rapid military breakthrough is possible in Idlib, the formation of the constitutional committee will be accelerated in search of a political achievement amidst the military impasse.

Russia committed to implementing the Sochi Agreement through military action, providing air support to the government forces and launching several raids on the cities located over Latakia ‐ Aleppo and Hama ‐ Aleppo roads, according to the sources.

Posted by:Fred

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