‘If fighting continues, there will be no Syria’

The Syrian regime delegation and opposition representatives will not meet face-to-face during the six-month peace talks called by the United Nations in Geneva. The two sides will negotiate via the United Nations mediator while fighting on the ground, said Jordanian Al Ghad newspaper. “If the situation continues this way, the peace talks will not lead to an agreement. Logically, no one can imagine disputing parties sitting down at the negotiating table before they agree to lay down their arms.”

It seems that the Syrian regime does not pay attention to the Geneva negotiations, and therefore its delegation arrived in Geneva first, while its troops are making progress on the ground, it said. “There is a massive humanitarian crisis in Syria where millions of Syrians fled their country and millions of others have been displaced, and cities were fully damaged. More important is that the fabric of the Syrian society has been torn apart.” Qatar’s Al Raya newspaper says peace cannot be achieved if the Syrian regime does not stop attacks on civilians, allow humanitarian relief operations and lift sieges on towns since the main goal of the Geneva talks is to end the crisis. “The regime delegation’s inaction over demands regarding the lifting of the siege, ceasing attacks and allowing humanitarian access, once again confirms that the regime is still thwarting international efforts.

“Resolving the Syrian crisis needs a clear international will towards the current Geneva talks. The international community must strongly support the peace talks and propel the regime to accept guarantees determined by UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, to ultimately lead to ending the plight of the Syrian people.”

The attempts by each party of Syrian negotiators in the Geneva 3 talks to impose pre-conditions are not strange in such situations, as this has happened in all similar negotiations between rival parties, UAE-based daily Al Khaleej Arabic said. “There have always been problems during all negotiations on civil wars everywhere in the world, but negotiations have resulted in ending such conflicts and crises. It is time to put an end to the five-year crisis. Hence, no one should be allowed to undermine peace talks and the roadmap of negotiations set by the UN. To do so, it is imperative that the opposition parties unite in order to be able to participate in the peace talks as a single bloc and speak with one voice,” the paper said.

The independent newspaper Rai Al Youm said the issue is no longer whether Syrian President Bashar Al Assad should stay in power or go, but it is Syria. This is simply because if the fighting continues, there will be no Syria. This is an important point that is being overlooked by all those who are involved militarily and politically in the Syrian crisis. “The Geneva negotiations are merely aiming to buy time in an attempt to manage the Syrian crisis, not really to solve it. Syria will not be better off than Palestine, Libya or Yemen,” it says.

In contrast to other pan-Arab newspapers, the Syrian state-owned newspaper, Tishreen, said what is happening in Syria is a war against terrorism by the national Syrian forces. It says the Syrian government is the only party that supports Syria, backed by the Syrian people. “The Syrian state is serious about a political process by the Syrians who paid heavily in fighting against terrorism. Therefore, it welcomes any serious approach that leads to ending the five-year terrorist war on Syria and its people.”