Putin Ascendent: Russians Advise Obama, “Adopt Political Solution in Syria”

By Anthony Melé,  RCT Contributor

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have told President Obama by phone that a political settlement must be reached in Syria. In diplomatic language that means the current military policy that the Obama Administration continues to push is unachievable.

Moscow News reports; Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama discussed key international issues and bilateral cooperation in a telephone conversation on Friday.

“In the context of the Syrian conflict, Putin stressed the need to put an end to military activity as soon as possible. The presidents ordered Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry to maintain active contact with the goal of working out possible initiatives for the political settlement of the crisis,” the statement said.

The Russian call for a cessation of military hostilities supported by the Obama Administration and a push for a diplomatic settlement, would translate into President Assad retaining power and the withdrawal of American support for rebel groups.

Some of the affiliated rebel groups fighting Assad, like Al-Nusra, are considered terrorists. Recent video released circulating on the internet portray the result of a Syrian Army attack on a heavily armed Al-Nusra convoy that was completely destroyed. Identification of the terrorist uncovered they were not Syrian nationals.

Diplomatic cover to help the Obama Administration abandon this foreign policy fiasco is a call by multiple players for the embargo of all weapons and financial support to Al-Nusra.

Al-Nusra is the military back-bone of the Free Syrian Army, who are largely comprised of radical Salafis committing all manner of atrocities against Syrian civilians and captured soldiers. If they are ejected from the fight, the military effort to take power in Syria cannot hope to prevail.

The blowback comes in the form of the disarray and dismantling of the Free Syrian Army leadership. When the U.S. announced its sudden discovery of Al-Nusra’s Al-Qaeda affiliations and abrupt reversal; Moaz Al- Kateeb resigned from his US sanctioned leadership post.

The Americans announced their support for an American educated muslim, Ghassam Hitto as the new leader. Unfortunately, his Obama Administration selected appointment came without broad support and has fractured the Free Syrian Army movement.

The Huffington Posts in Beirut reports:  “The head of the Syrian opposition coalition’s military branch has refused to recognize the body’s new prime minister, saying he was not properly elected. Louay Almokdad, aide to Gen. Salim Idris, told The Associated Press by phone Sunday that the rebel Free Syrian Army would not recognize the U.S.-educated IT expert chosen last week to head a rebel interim government. Almokdad said Ghassan Hitto was elected without the support of prominent Syrian opposition figures and that a recognized prime minister must have broad support.”

Analysts point out, the fluid, fast-paced changes, have turned the tides of fortune against the Obama Administration’s Syrian efforts. Without U.S. military support, increasing realization in the world press that the U.S. was supporting foreign terrorist attacks inside Syria, and the vicious infighting between the Western-backed and Saudi-funded opposition groups, the Syrian Army will beat the remnants of these foreign attackers and recapture the towns they hold.

The Russians have now openly intervened and assigned their foreign minister to meet with the US Secretary of State, to craft a new initiative that would retain President Assad and abandon Western support of military opposition.

Moscow news reports; “The presidents of Russia and the United States tasked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry with working out new initiatives to resolve the ongoing conflict in Syria, the Kremlin said in a statement.”

The Obama Administration’s Syrian foreign policy supported foreign terrorists inside Syria, and recognized a loosely crafted government in waiting.  Now, it is all falling apart.

The Russians have stepped in. President Obama’s future Syrian foreign policy will be crafted with the help of Moscow it seems.

  al nusfra, assad, Obama, putin, russia, syria, syrian issue, united states