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Hollow statements

Jun 24,2018 - Last updated at Jun 24,2018

The collapse of the de-escalation accord in southern Syria, which Jordan, US and Russia, had brokered and agreed upon last year, is now the hottest issue on Jordan's agenda.

There is every fear that the new wave of exodus from the southern Syrian city of Daraa and its neighbouring towns and villages could be at Jordan's expense, because the refugees would have no other place to go as safe haven except to the Jordanian border in the north, and ultimately to enter Jordan and swell the already large number of Syrian refugees in the country.

Interesting enough, Moscow is not only silent on this grave violation of the agreement that bears its signature, but has, in fact, joined the fighting by waging aerial bombardments, something that suggests that it has given Damascus the green light to do as it pleases.

The US has been making "noise", threatening to punish the Syrian army for violating the agreement, but has not lifted a finger to stop the Syrian aggression. 

Damascus may feel that it is not bound by the tripartite accord on southern Syria, and must have noted that Moscow and Washington are only making hollow statements on the fast deteriorating situation in southern Syria.

This is where Russia must intervene, and intervene effectively, to end the Syrian violations. Otherwise, the end of the ceasefire agreement would invite new waves of escalation, whose end-game cannot be measured as yet.

The Syrian regime is getting intoxicated by its recent military successes across Syria, no thanks to the Russian and Iranian military support, and must feel confident enough, or rather arrogant enough, to do what it pleases to finish off its military campaigns against the remaining opposition forces.

This is all happening at a time when the international community, including Russia, the US and the EU, are hoping against hope to set the stage for an early political solution to the Syrian quagmire.

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