FSA Rejects U.N. Proposal to Suspend Fighting in Aleppo
“The opposition-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Aleppo has rejected a U.N. truce proposal that seeks to suspend fighting,” saying that it only served the Assad regime, Al Jazeera writes.
“I would like to say that we completely reject this so-called freeze plan and truce,” said Zaher al-Saket, FSA military commander in Aleppo.
“We saw what happened in Homs and we will never accept the same scenario in Aleppo.”
The news came after the U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura said the Syrian government had responded with “constructive interest” to his “freeze zone” proposal that would suspend fighting and allow humanitarian aid through to Syria, laying the groundwork for potential peace talks.
De Mistura continues to press for a diplomatic solution to Syria’s crisis, amid continued reports of violence in Syria and the recent arrest of prominent opposition leader Louay Hussein.
Syrian Rebels in South Emerge as West’s Last Hope, as Moderates Face Crushing Defeat Elsewhere
“With moderate rebels facing defeat by al-Qaida in Syria’s north, southern rebels, described by Western officials as the best organized of the mainstream opposition, are seeking a higher profile and more help,” Reuters reports.
Last week, 15 groups in the Southern Front laid out a “transition plan for a Syria without Assad, taking on a political role that in the past they left to others.”
The moderate opposition is facing a three-front battle against Assad’s forces and extremists from both ISIS and in recent cases Jabhat al-Nusra, who routed pro-Western rebels lack week from their stronghold in the north.
“Rebels in the ‘Southern Front’ still control territory and have managed to resist Assad while avoiding direct clashes with the Nusra Front,” Reuters writes.
They are hoping to receive more aid from the West to avoid a similar fate to other Western-backed groups who are fighting extremists and government’s forces elsewhere in the country.
The U.S. has indicated that backing “moderate” rebels is core to its strategy to defeat ISIS without helping Assad, but support has so far been limited.
Yesterday CNN reported that the Obama administration was reviewing its Syria strategy, acknowledging that Assad’s removal may be necessary.
Islamic State and al-Qaida Affiliate Reportedly Agree on Plan to Stop Fighting
The Islamic State and al-Qaida agreed on a plan to stop fighting each other, instead deciding to work together against their opponents, a high-level Syrian opposition official and a rebel commander told the Associated Press.
Their truce promises to suspend fighting and escalate attacks in certain areas of Northern Syria
ISIS, now in control of nearly one-third of Syria and Iraq, has fought Jabhat al-Nusra for the past year for a more dominant role in the country and against Syrian President Assad.
“Cooperation, however, would fall short of unifying the rival groups, and experts believe any pact between the two sides could easily unravel,” the AP writes.
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Photo Courtesy: AP Images