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| Geneva meeting fails to quell the Syrian crisis |
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The recent crisis meeting on Syria which was held in Geneva on June 30 revived the old conflicts between Russia and the United States. Moscow insisted on Iran being at the meeting, Washington invited its ally Saudi Arabia, which has been supplying the Syrian opposition with arms. Ultimately, U.S. and Russia stood firm on their positions and the bid to engage Iran became finally unworkable.
Russia views Iran as a regional power which can pave the way for the restoration of peace and order in Syria. On the other hand, Russian officials have repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia’s military and financial support for the armed terrorist groups in Syria, attributing it as one of the main reasons behind the continued unrest. The Saudi government cannot be part of the solution for the Syrian crisis as it is part of the problem.
Refusing to accept such a blatant fact, the U.S. continued to insist on Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Geneva meeting and even used the issue as a pretext to revive old disputes with their old rival, which was against Saudi Arabian participation in the talks.
The Saudi Arabian issue stymied the talks, adding to the pile of international efforts that have failed to provide a solution for the Syrian crisis. The Geneva meeting, as expected, had no tangible result and proved the futility current plans and programs.
The only way forward would be to set aside differences and help the Syrian government to gradually pave the way for political change. The provision of arms and financial support to the Syrian rebels, which is being sponsored by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, should be stopped.
This would help foster the full realization of the peace plan proposed by the former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, otherwise the situation will deteriorate and the entire region will suffer effects of a civil war in Syria.
Hossein Ruivaran is a Middle East expert based in Tehran.
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| Last Updated on 03 July 2012 16:49 |