Submitted by Robert Berke via OilPrice.com,
As reported around the world, Russia’s decision to greatly reduce its military presence in Syria, coming as it did with little warning, has left the world struggling for explanations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia could deploy military forces back to Syria in a matter of hours if needed. “Of course, if such a need arises, Russia can, in several hours, build up its forces in Syria to a size capable of dealing with an escalating situation and use the entire range of means at its disposal,” Putin said. Almanar.com.lb reports: “We wouldn’t like that. A military escalation is not our choice. We hope the parties involved would show common sense and that both the government and the opposition will stick to the peace process,” he added.
Kurds in northern Syria plan to declare a federal region under their control as a way of encouraging Damascus to the idea of a more decentralized form of government in which all ethnic groups could have representation. A conference is to be held in Rmelan to declare the federation of three Western Kurdistan enclaves. Russia Today reports: Barzan Iso, a Kurdish journalist, has confirmed the news to RT. “Now the conference has just started in Rmelan, about 200 representatives of Rojava have joined [the event]. They represent different ethnicities and nationalities.
Well, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s worst nightmare is about to come true.
For days there have been rumors that Syria might attempt to adopt some manner of federal system at peace talks in Geneva as a kind of compromise on the way to negotiating a political solution to the country’s five-year conflict that’s killed some 300,000 people and created the worst refugee crisis Europe has seen since World War II.
The political and media adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said it is now time for the US to put pressure on Turkey and Saudi Arabia to stop supporting the terrorists that are wreaking havoc in Syria. According to Press TV, Bouthaina Shaaban made the remarks during an interview with the Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen television channel on Tuesday, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that “the main part” of the Russian forces would start to withdraw from Syria.