14-nation meeting urges focus on Geneva political talks but vague on details

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At a Monday meeting at the UN, a series of Western nations said that the Assad regime should not receive reconstruction money for Syria without a political resolution of the 78-month conflict, incouding Assad’s eventual departure from power.

The regime and its main ally, Russia, have been pressing the UN and international community to provide the support of reconstruction for “national reconciliation” — the regime’s euphemism for military recapture or forced capitulation of opposition territory.

But France, the US, and UK pushed back against the effort at the 14-country meeting of Foreign Ministers and other officials. British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said:

We believe that the only way forward is to get a political process going and to make it clear to the Iranians, Russians and Assad regime that we, the like-minded group, will not support the reconstruction of Syria until there is such a political process and that means, as Resolution 2254 says, to a transition away from Assad.

Speaking to reporters before the session, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that “realism” dictated that Assad cannot remain in power with more than 11 million Syrians — about half of the country’s pre-conflict population — displaced during the war.

The US was less vocal about Assad’s future. Acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield said:

There has got to be a political process if there is to be any international participation in the reconstruction of Syria. The regime and the regime supporters cannot declare a victory solely based on a map and colors of positions on the ground.

“The reconstruction of Syria depends very much on that credible political process.

The Political Path?

The meeting’s participants agreed that focus needed to return to talks in Geneva, begun early this year, involving the regime and Syrian opposition. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said, “We discussed here how to bring it back to the U.N.-led process and Geneva,” declaring a “consensus” on the approach.

Wallström said of parallel talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, in which Russia has pressed its concept of “de-escalation zones” across Syria, “It’s good if the Astana process leads to de-escalation and a reduction of the violence but it has to lead into the political process.”

The Geneva talks have made little progress with the Assad regime, bolstered by its foreign allies on the battlefield, refusing any movement on conditions such as a full cessation of attacks, an end to all sieges, and the release of political detainees. Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly said that no political transition can demand his departure from power.

In recent months, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has put his primary attention on Syrian opposition groups, insisting that the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee must take in smaller factions supported by Moscow.

The 14-nation meeting did not offer any substantive proposals beyond the “return to Geneva”. France’s Le Drian said he will hold a meeting with Britain, China, Russia, and the US to seek the creation of a “contact group” to pursue resolution.

The HNC’s Riad Hijab, a former Syrian Prime Minister, said he has told French President Emmanuel Macron of the importance of the contact group because “of American withdrawal and Russia is dominating the entire process”: “So Mr. Macron’s initiative is the right way to fix this because it’s vital all five (permanent Security Council members) are involved in the process.”

HTS and Rebels Attack Regime Positions in Northern Hama

Rebel factions and the jihadist bloc Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have attacked regime positions near the town of Ma’an in northern Hama Province.

The factions struck Tuesday morning, claiming a response to ongoing pro-Assad assaults despite a Russian-proclaimed “de-escalation zone”. A pro-regime account, citing military sources, has confirmed that pro-Assad forces carried out attacks in recent days:

Pro-opposition media say that both sides are using artillery, rockets, and mortars in today’s fighting, and that regime warplanes have carried out airstrikes over the town of Morek and the village of Atshan.

The fighting could be the biggest confrontation since a rebel-HTS offensive failed to gain ground in the area in April.

Regime Renews Airstrikes on Idlib Province

Opposition outlets say the regime has renewed airstrikes on neighboring, opposition-held Idlib Province. Qasioun News reported operations from the Hama and Shayrat bases in Hama Province, T4 in Homs Province, and Hmaimim in Latakia Province.

The White Helmets civil defense reports 40 strikes on civilian homes, hospital, and civil defense centers. Three medical facilities have reportedly been knocked out of service in Idlib Province: Orient Hospital in Kafranbel, Rahma Hospital in Khan Sheikhoun, and Tawlid Hospital in al-Tah.

Regime Claims Challenge to US & Kurds-Led SDF, Crossing Euphrates Near Deir ez-Zor

The Assad regime is claiming a challenge to the US-supported, Kurds-led Syrian Democratic Forces, crossing to the eastern side of the Euphrates River near Deir ez-Zor city.

The pro-Assad site al-Masdar claims the regime military and foreign allies have moved into the town of Marat and are fighting ISIS for the town of Khasham.

As both pro-Assad forces and the SDF push back the Islamic State in Deir ez-Zor Province in eastern Syria, the chance of confrontation has risen. Last week the SDF, which is to the north and east of Deir ez-Zor city, told the pro-Assad groups — supported by Russian airpower and in western sections of the city — to stop firing across the Euphrates.

On Saturday both the SDF, led by the Kurdish militia YPG, and the Pentagon said Russian warplanes had attacked an SDF position east of the Euphrates, injuring six fighters. Russia’s Defense Ministry denied the report on Sunday.

See Syria Daily, Sept 18: Russia — We Didn’t Bomb US-Backed, Kurds-Led Force

Yesterday pro-Assad units crossed the Euphrates near a southern suburb of Deir ez-Zor city.

Ahmed Abu Khawla of the SDF’s Deir ez-Zor military council confirmed the crossing and said his fighters are ready to drive them back: “If there are clashes between us and them – we’re ready for those if the forces of the regime don’t go back to the other bank.”