Geneva II will open a new chapter for Syria

TEHRAN,June 1(MNA)--The second Geneva conference on Syria looms while the major international powers are still at odds over how to deal with the crisis in the Arab country. Russia has decided to sell Damascus the long-awaited S-300 long-range surface-to-air missiles in order to increase Syria’s defense capabilities. Moscow is also pressuring Washington to expedite the initiation of inclusive multinational talks on Syria in order to find a political solution. The United States and its allies, which have spent billions of dollars to support the rebels fighting against the Syrian government, seem to have revised some of their hostile policies toward Syria. For two years, the anti-Syria front rejected the idea of talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and they always set preconditions for engaging in direct negotiations with the government. But now they have become more open to a political settlement of the crisis, and they have even invited the armed groups fighting the Syrian government to attend the upcoming meeting in Geneva. The second Geneva conference will have three different levels: talks between Russia and the United States; meetings between the regional powers, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and perhaps Iran; and direct talks between the Syrian government and the opposition. The new framework of the Geneva conference shows that there has been a major shift in the anti-Syria front’s outlook toward the crisis and strengthens the notion that the Western countries and their allies have dropped their red lines on Syria and have decided to try to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. However, the Syrian opposition is extremely divided and lacks the unity needed to form a delegation to participate in the Geneva conference. The disputes among the rebels and the rise in extremist actions by some elements of the opposition are major factors preventing them from establishing a united leadership. But if a deal is reached in Geneva, extremist groups like the al-Nusra Front will be marginalized as other groups in the opposition gradually distance themselves from the use of violence. Hossein Ruivaran is a Middle East expert based in Tehran. (By Hossein Ruivaran)