Cessation of hostilities is scheduled to take effect on  February 27, at midnight Damascus time. 

Provisions mandate all fighting stop except against ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and other Security Council designated terrorist groups, comprising most anti-Assad forces.

Syria and Russia intend showing good faith. It’s unclear whether opposition elements will follow suit. It’ll take time to know beyond the midnight deadline, likely days or longer.

Conditions don’t change dramatically overnight. Given Obama’s rage to make Syria another US vassal state, chances for cessation of hostilities to work are virtually nil. Likewise for a durable peace.

How events play out remain to be seen. . 

If cessation of hostilities fails, John Kerry suggested partitioning northern Syria, creating a so-called safe zone along Turkey’s border, enforced by 30,000 troops, an imperial scheme Moscow and Damascus won’t accept. 

The draft UN Security Council resolution is expected to be unanimously approved later on Friday or Saturday. It mandates cessation of hostilities, designated terrorist groups excluded.

It calls for access to all areas where humanitarian aid is desperately needed, along with UN-brokered peace talks to begin “as soon as possible…in good faith…”

On Monday, a joint US/Russia statement said

“(t)he United States of America and the Russian Federation, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and seeking to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis with full respect for the fundamental role of the United Nations, are fully determined to provide their strongest support to end the Syrian conflict and establish conditions for a successful Syrian-led political transition process, facilitated by the UN.”

Statements are one thing, reality quite another. Washington’s rage for war and dominance haven’t changed. Believing Obama transformed himself into a peacemaker is pure fantasy. Lunatics infesting Washington consider Russia their greatest threat.

As long as Washington and its allies keep supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups, conflict resolution in Syria remains illusive.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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