This plan is as good as useless. It's based on the Munich agreement. That went nowhere fast.
The United States and Russia agreed Monday on a new cease-fire for Syria that will take effect Saturday, U.S. officials said, even as major questions over enforcing and responding to violations of the truce were left unresolved. Where in Syria the fighting must stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue also must be addressed.
If one has no mechanism or plan to address violation of the truce, then clearly, there will be no truce.
The officials said the new timeline for the hoped-for breakthrough comes after the two former Cold War foes, which are backing opposing sides in Syria's civil war, agreed on terms for the "cessation of hostilities" between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and armed opposition groups. Those sides must accept the deal by Friday.
The truce will not cover the Islamic State, the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and any other militias designated as terrorist organizations by the U.N. Security Council.
Which means the truce will again apply to YPG. And we all noticed how well YPG adhered to the Munich ceasefire
Both the U.S. and Russia are still targeting those groups with airstrikes. An announcement is expected after presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin speak by telephone Monday, according to the officials, who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter ahead of time and demanded anonymity.Even if the cease-fire takes hold, fighting will by no means cease in Syria.
Yawn.
The plan largely follows the blueprint set by Washington, Moscow and 15 other countries at a conference in Germany earlier this month. That agreement called for a truce by Feb. 19, a deadline that was missed.
You can find the link to the text of the Munich agreement in this post:
Beyond the new cease-fire date, Monday's agreement sets up a "communications hotline" and, if needed, a working group to promote and monitor the truce. Violations are to be addressed by the working group with an eye toward restoring compliance and cooling tensions. The deal also calls for "non-forcible means" to be exhausted before other means are pursued for punishing transgressors.
The working group is not new- it seems just the "communications hotline" is an additional feature
Any party can report violations to the working group being co-chaired by the U.S. and Russia.The two countries also will share "pertinent information" about territory held by rebel groups accepting the truce
Additionally- Turkey and Saudi Arabia still have zero intention of sending ground troops into Syria- Both nations, as stated weeks ago, will only commit to ground troops if the US takes the lead.Link
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey and Saudi Arabia have currently no plan for a ground incursion into Syria. Addressing a press conference in the capital, Ankara, on Monday, Cavusoglu said any ground operation inside Syria would need to involve all countries in the so-called US-led coalition against Daesh Takfiri terrorists.
Cessation of Hostilities in SyriaPress StatementJohn KerrySecretary of StateWashington, DCFebruary 22, 2016
"I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms. If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people.Today's agreement results from the committed diplomacy of many countries and groups, and I want to thank all those who worked diligently to bring it about, including the U.S. and Russian delegations and other members of the International Syria Support Group.We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead. Over the coming days, we will be working to secure commitments from key parties that they will abide by the terms of this cessation of hostilities and further develop modalities for monitoring and enforcement.This is a moment of promise, but the fulfillment of that promise depends on actions. All parties must meet their commitments under this agreement, ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and cease attacks on each other, including aerial bombardments. And all parties must remain committed over a period of time to make possible a political end to this conflict.As we move forward, we will remain vigilant to ensure that implementation achieves what we set out to do, which is to stop the violence and provide the space and the opportunity for a negotiated political transition, consistent with the Geneva Communique of 2012, that unites all Syrians who reject dictatorship and terrorism and want to build a new future for their country"
In Kerry's "cessation of hostilities" he still calls for the outing of Bashar Assad. Unbelievable! So you cease hostilities by calling for the leader to be ousted.