WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA) MESOP : US SURPRISED ? OR COMMON ARRANGEMENT ? / Syria Daily: Putin’s Surprise Announcement of Russian Withdrawal
15 March 2016 by Scott Lucas – eaworldview – In an unexpected announcement, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the “main part” of Russia’s forces will leave Syria immediately.Putin’s announcement came on the first day of renewed political talks in Geneva, raising further questions about the President’s timing. The President said Russia’s objectives in thousands of airstrikes and support of pro-Assad ground offensives, which began September 30, had been “generally fulfilled”.
However, he did not explain the contradiction between Moscow’s declared focus — the defeat of the Islamic State — and the fact that ISIS remains in place in much of northern and central Syria, including the cities of Raqqa and Palmyra.
Instead, Putin framed the intervention as the creation of “conditions for the start of a peace process” as well as assistance to the Syrian military “to turn the tide in fight against international terrorism”.
The President did not technically halt all Russian military operations, including airstrikes, saying that Russia’s naval base in Tartus and airbase at the Khmeimim airfield will function in “routine mode”, and that Russian ground troops will remain to monitor any ceasefire.
ASSAD EVENTUALLY RESPONDS
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov maintained that the Russia decision was “conveyed to our Syrian colleagues and coordinated with President Assad”. The Syrian Presidency was slow to react, but eventually put out a statement:
The Syrian and Russian sides agreed, during a telephone call between President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, to decrease the number of the Russian air forces in Syria.
Regime supporters on social media initially denied any significance to Putin’s statement before grudgingly accepting it. Assad’s office was forced by speculation to insist that “Syria and Russia are, as always, together fighting terrorism”.
The opposition-rebel High Negotiations Committee quickly welcomed the possibilities of the Russian step. HNC spokesman Salim al-Muslat said: If there is seriousness in implementing the withdrawal, it will give the talks a positive push. If this is a serious step it will form a major element of pressure on the regime, because the Russian support prolonged the regime. Matters will change significantly as a result of that.However, al-Muslat remained cautious and maintained the opposition’s demand for a complete halt to Russian intervention:Nobody knows what is in Putin’s mind, but the point is he has no right to be in be our country in the first place. Just go.
US SURPRISED?
The US, which has worked with Russia to arrange a partial cessation of hostilities and the renewal of political talks for a resolution to Syria’s five-year conflict, appeared to be caught by surprise.
An unnamed official said that Washington was encouraged by Putin’s announcement but that it was too early to establish its significance, its motivation, or even whether the President will carry out the withdrawal.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called the announcement a “positive development” if Russia supported the talks.On Monday, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura held his initial discussions with the regime delegation, led by UN Ambassador Bashar al-Jaafari.Jaafari said the “dialogue” was “positive and constructive”.De Mistura is scheduled to meet the opposition-rebel HNC on Tuesday and the Assad representatives again on Wednesday.