"And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness, the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a Thief in a jail is safe from another thief. "

Khalil Gibran (How I Became a Madman)

Lübnan Marunîleri / Yasin Atlıoğlu

NEWS AND ARTICLES / HABERLER VE MAKALELER

Sunday, February 05, 2017

The FSA's demands ahead of Geneva- Al-Jazeera

The Astana talks were an opportunity for Syrian rebel groups to lead negotiations focused solely on implementing the ceasefire. Previous rounds of peace talks have failed due to the clear lack of commitment by Bashar al-Assad and his backers to a sustainable ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, and a solution to the plight of detainees.

While the position of the regime has not changed, the political and armed opposition are prepared to negotiate an end to the bloodshed and a genuine political solution. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) agreed to participate in Astana on the basis of Turkey's role as a guarantor, and to test Russia's readiness to apply real pressure on the Assad regime and Iran to commit to a sustainable ceasefire. We are yet to see any clear sign that either is prepared to negotiate in good faith.