US, Russia should agree on a 'secular' Syria
The objective of a revived diplomatic process should be assuring a secular state, not necessarily Assad's departure.
The diplomatic epic aimed at stopping the Syrian civil war has reached a critical point. The wave of expectations that gave rise to the chemical weapons removal program and Geneva II has faded away. A political dead end is now being discussed; last autumn’s rhetoric can be heard.
US President Barack Obama has reminded us that a military strike is still possible. Saudi Arabia has promised to supply the opposition with MANPADs. There is yet another conflict of resolutions within the UN Security Council. The split is along the same line: Western countries are determined to hold Bashar al-Assad liable for the continuing clashes, while Russia and China deny it and call for effective measures against the terrorists (read: the opposition). Lakhdar Brahimi, the official intermediary at the talks, who plies a course between the delegations in Geneva, is starting to lose his patience. This is in spite of the fact that his nerves have, up till now, proven stronger than those of his successor Kofi Annan’s. The news from the Swiss diplomatic front has indeed been sad.
