LATEST: “Moderate” Insurgents Promote “Unity” Initiative in South

President Assad has discussed political and propaganda strategy with Russia, receiving Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Damascus on Wednesday.

The Russians have been working with the Assad regime to fashion a “peace” strategy, based on talks with an acceptable Syrian opposition and the notion of “national reconciliation”.

As usual with Assad’s meetings, almost no details were released; however, the platitudes pointed to the approach, which would promote the first discussions over the 45-month conflict since the failed Geneva II conferences of early 2014. The discussion was of “a comprehensive inter-Syrian dialogue away from any foreign interference” to bring “national reconciliations”.

The success of the strategy is not necessarily predicated on the holding of a conference. Instead, just by going through the motions of engagement with a nominal Syrian opposition — as Bogdanov did in meetings in Moscow last week — both the Assad regime and the Russians can hail their political ascendancy against immoral enemies and “terrorists”.

Bogdanov summarized for Syrian media, “Our main and most important mission is combating terrorism which poses a threat to everyone….We believe there should be a political solution and we have to try.”

However, in the presentation, the Russian envoy put out one significant piece of information — he had come to Damascus, just after a discussion with the main externally-based political opposition, the Syrian National Coalition:

I went through Turkey and met Head of the Coalition Hadi al-Bahra….And we discussed the same points and asked the Syrians to meet in Moscow and find a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

Bogdanov did not offer any content of that discussion. However, he would have been in Turkey at the same time as UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was in Turkey to see opposition groups, including the Coalition and the leading insurgent organization, the Revolutionary Command Council.

De Mistura’s objective? Acceptance of his plan for a “freeze” to fighting in Aleppo, divided since July 12 between regime and opposition since July 2012, to allow humanitarian aid and to foster political talks.

“Moderate” Insurgents Promote “Unity” Initiative in South

Hoping to secure more funding and weapons, insurgent groups in southern Syria have put out another message via Reuters, promoting their “unity”.

The insurgents hailed a December 6 agreement between 17 faction leaders as a “transitional plan” for defeat of the Assad regime and a new rule for Syria.

“We are moving in steps. The joint defense agreement is part of the complete plan for uniting the southern front,” said Bashar al-Zoubi, head of the Yarmouk Army.

The US has provided limited assistance and weapons, as part of an operations center in Jordan with representative of European and Arab countries, to the insurgents.

Reuters claims that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the main backers of the southern initiative, with Qatar — which has supported the Islamic Front in the north — excluded.

Reuters has been a prime outlet for the messages of the “moderate” insurgents, while providing scant coverage of the union of 72 factions in the north under the Revolutionary Command Council.

Al Jazeera Journalist Dies in Accident South of Damascus

Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Mahran Al Deeri has been killed in an accident while covering battles in Sheikh Maskin, south of Damascus.

Al Deeri died, taking cover from government fire, when his car hit a vehicle with insurgent fighters. The Al Jazeera car had turned off its headlights to avoid being targeted.

Three journalists from pro-opposition Orient News were killed by a regime airstrike in the area, on the main highway between Damascus and the Jordanian border, on Monday.