Putin summons Assad to Sochi, takes charge of shaping post-war Syria
President Vladimir Putin and Syria’s Bashar Assad agreed in Sochi on Monday, Nov. 20, to start addressing Syria’s political situation now that the “terrorists” are defeated and the war is drawing to a close.
Putin insisted that diplomacy for a Syrian post-war settlement should go forward under UN aegis. Assad replied that he hoped for “Russia’s help in ensuring that the Syrians themselves lead the process, with help from outside, but not ‘interference.’”
The Syrian ruler would accept an external UN frame, but is clearly opposed to any outside attempts by the UN or anyone else to interfere in the country’s internal political dialogue or try to impose solutions on the parties.
That much is evident from the official accounts of the Sochi meeting. Its real content may be quite different. It stands to reason that Putin leaned hard on his guest to make sure that Assad toed the Moscow line.
The Russian president then announced he would be spending the next day in telephone consultations on Syria’s future with US President Donald Trump and a number of Middle East leaders. Word on what transpired at the Sochi interview and in those phone calls will most likely emerge in reports from Moscow and Damascus in the coming days.
Meanwhile, DEBKAfile’s Middle East and Russian sources fill in some of the context:
- Putin and Assad may have shaken hands in token of the Syrian war’s end, but both are perfectly aware that it is not yet over. One main stage, the defeat of the Islamic State and liberation of the territory it occupied, is more or less in the bag. But although most Syrian rebel groups have been broken, the civil rebellion persists.
- There is no indication of a silent contest said to be afoot between Russia and Iran for the domination of post-war Syria. For now, they complement each other, which each assigned a slice of territorial influence. The Russian army controls parts of the Mediterranean coastland, while Iran is extending its control of the Damascus region and Syria’s two border regions with Lebanon and Iraq and their highway connections. Close teamwork is also apparent on the battlefield with Russia actively supporting Iran and Hizballah.
- The Sochi meeting was only the beginning of a long and difficult diplomatic process that could go on for many months, if not years, punctuated with ups and downs, pauses and outbreaks of hostilities.
- Bashar Assad survived more than seven years of a vicious and grueling war and emerged as the winner. He may well try to repeat this feat in the diplomatic contest over Syria’s political future.
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, the next steps in Syria will be discussed at a meeting of Russian, Turkish and Iranian leaders. (It is not yet clear if attendance will be at head-of-state or foreign ministerial level). Syria will not be present. Therefore, this trilateral forum will be in charge.
On the same day, Saudi Arabia has scheduled a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders in Riyadh.
A week hence, on Nov. 28, the UN-sponsored conference on the Syria crisis convenes in Geneva in which the US has a major stake..
Israel must be very angry…..it’s proxy army is being beaten down good…..
how true their little terrorists greater isreal project has failed
“how true their little terrorists greater isreal project has failed”
It looks like the capital “I” on your computer keyboard is broken and requires your immediate attention!
apartheIdisrael
“apartheIdisrael”
Try fixing the “space” key on your computer before posting bogus comments.
Troll alert!
“Israel must be very angry…..it’s proxy army is being beaten down good…..”
Kindly provide your proof (and your source for that proof) that Israel has a “proxy army” in Syria.
I’m waiting——————–
@davefromrage: I have give you an explanation on previous article, or here a copy:”Of course we will never found the ISIS-Israel MOU documents, so clearly you are a junior in term of geopolitics then. I’m telling you, It’s easy , first who will get benefit most from ISIS aka whatever Al Al success in Syria, second; read/listen Israel opinions on ISIS(Yalon, Yair Golan etc), third; ISIS behaviour to Israel(they apologize for misfire to Israel) and vice versa(Israel hospitalize wounded ISIS, Israel gave ISIS air cover) for additional direct Israel involvement to help ISIS in form of arm supply’s and personal -see case of Yusi Oulen Shahak. “…
“@davefromrage: I have give you an explanation on previous article, or here a copy:”Of course we will never found the ISIS-Israel MOU documents, so clearly you are a junior in term of geopolitics then”
@worldcitizen: You just admitted that you have no actual proof of those accusations being directed against the Israelis. Remember, when accusations are made, the “burden of proof” is on the accuser and, obviously, no real proof has been presented here, just a jumbling of “hearsay” and conclusions being based on that “hearsay”.
BTW, the aid and assistance that was provided by Israel to groups fighting against the Assad regime in Syria was provided to groups NOT affiliated with ISSIS and to Syrian civilians requiring medical and humanitarian assistance. ISSIS, just like Hezbollah and Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have called for the
destruction of Israel (and of the Jewish people), so logically, Israel would not “benefit” from an ISSIS takeover of Syria.
Looking back at your prior comment, the term you used: “junior in term of geopolitics” is sort of interesting. It reminds me of the reality of the name: “world citizen”. In another word: “naive”.
Such a silly nonsensical reason how the war started. Even a retard will not agree with you .
And obviously you act like an ostrich with your head in the Syrian sand.
The circumstantial evidence are all over the place and how Israel bombing Syrian troops but never once the terrorists and vice versa, what more you need?
Yes it really is a shame to attack soldiers who fought real terrorists in their country when they are not a threat to Israel. Israel need only one excuse of a shell landing in Israel care not who fired it to attack Syria. Gosh you still deny?
Suggest you stop posting as you make a fool of yourself
@davefromrage just read what @peter say and i’m agree with him, you just won’t accept a reality, you have already knew actually, but you won’t to admit. To say Syrian war is a civilian war is beyond naive, its just a lie, big lie, fortunately it’s over now, and all the culprits in panic mode.
Like the proof BENAJAMIN NETANYAHU gave in the US about Iraq’s WMD…..no proof……ZERO and the country was destroyed by ZIONIST EXTREMISM…….the world is waking up and nothing can save ZIONIST EXTREMISM now……
Hey, it ain’t over till the fat lady sings! Israel managed to send 300,000 to heaven where they are each enjoying their 72 virgins as we speak. Without a single casualty I might add. Then Israel also managed to get rid of 3m and dump them in Europe where they are taking care of those anti-semites for Israel (rape, terror attacks , you know the usual Arab stuff…). So i wouldn’t call that a failure, specially since its not really over. There is Act II coming soon, Sunni vs Shia. Its like Predator vs Alien. My bet is on Shia, how about you? I think Sunnis are way too dumb and stupid for Shias specially the ones from Iran…..
So I am sure Israelis are sitting and laughing at all the dumb Arabs that had to fight other dumb Arabs!!! I know I am laughing…LOL
Triumvirate of Zealots will collapse the minute the White European Settler Colony have their collective freak out when Nasrallah fires a water cannon into Occupied Palestine.
The army without soldiers has its corollary in a WEAK population.
You’re gonna start a war, because of arrogance and racism, and get steamrolled.
#ByeByeIsrael
“Yes it really is a shame to attack soldiers who fought real terrorists in their country when they are not a threat to Israel. Israel need only one excuse of a shell landing in Israel care not who fired it to attack Syria. Gosh you still deny?”
@peter:
If you had been following many past articles on Debka, you may have read that the source of some of the shells being fired from Syria into Israel came from Syrian army units——–looks like you missed those articles or just “tuned the info out” as it didn’t fit with your agenda.
“Suggest you stop posting as you make a fool of yourself”
@Peter:
Maybe you should pay more attention to your own comment as it certainly applies to you.
“@davefromrage just read what @peter say and i’m agree with him, you just won’t accept a reality, you have already knew actually, but you won’t to admit. To say Syrian war is a civilian war is beyond naive, its just a lie, big lie, fortunately it’s over now, and all the culprits in panic mode.”
@worldcitizen:
Here is a quote from what I actually stated previously:
“BTW, the aid and assistance that was provided by Israel to groups fighting against the Assad regime in Syria was provided to groups NOT affiliated with ISSIS and to Syrian civilians requiring medical and humanitarian assistance.————-”
Where in my comment did I say that the “Syrian war was a civilian war” ?
I only stated, as clearly quoted above, that the Israelis provided medical and humanitarian assistance to Syrian civilians who required it. Anyone reading your comment above can see that it just makes no sense at all!
You know who is really mad? The entire Islamic people who in typical crazy fashion killed their own people and everyone else (500,000 dead) to satisfy a political religion that says, Thou Shalt Kill.
Clowns like you blame Arabs for a Zionist sneak attack!
“when Nasrallah fires a water cannon into Occupied Palestine.”
@Arabs are Real Semites, not Fakers:
Does Nasrallah plan to fire his water cannon from deep inside his underground bunker ?????
Your hatred is too big
IRAQ, LIBYA, SYRIA…….ZIONIST EXTREMISM 100%…..ISISrael is your new name !!
Ben Nita and philias : Two morons that think they know something about politics
ZIONIST EXTREMISM will be completely eradicated ………are you watching ?
Look how debka used “terrorists” for real terrorists while term Hezbollah that kills “terrorists” as terrorists.
What a world.
Netanyahu summons al-Baghdadi to Jerusalem, takes charge of shaping the post-war Caliphate.
“Netanyahu summons al-Baghdadi to Jerusalem, takes charge of shaping the post-war Caliphate.”
Anyone know the date, time and flight number for al-Baghdadi’s arrival at Jerusalem———-just wondering!
Flight nine-eleven. No doubt some savage Mossad spooks will get it all on tape!
“Flight nine-eleven.”
Its sort of funny that someone who calls himself “Arabs are Real Semites, not Fakers” would not find it to be too embarrassing to even mention 911.
Maybe funny isn’t the word: pathetic seems more applicable!
they are ready for the big war with Israel cause the war in Syria was started only for the reason TO wipe out ISRAEL …… BUUT THEY CANNOT DO IT IF THE BIG PART OF ILLUMINATTI IN ISRAEL CANNOT DO IT
“they are ready for the big war with Israel cause the war in Syria was started only for the reason TO wipe out ISRAEL …… BUUT THEY CANNOT DO IT IF THE BIG PART OF ILLUMINATTI IN ISRAEL CANNOT DO IT”
Any similarity to logic in the above comment is purely a coincidence!
In the end, what will Syria’s new name be: Iran or Russia? Maybe half of it will be renamed Russia and the other half will be known as Iran? Or maybe 1/3 of it will be renamed Russia, another 1/3 will be known as Iran and the remaining 1/3 will become Hezbollahstan?
Bad loser to degrade Syria’s biggest achievement to have defeated the entire Israeli/US/NATO/Saudi etc .
Swallow your pride for the third time (2000and,2006)
ApartheidIsrael can get renamed Nasrallastan after your racist, retarded leaders write YET ANOTHER CHECK that their army without soldiers can’t cash!
Baby killing from 35000 feet: check
Dead Grandmas, from the same elevation: check
Tactical battlefield success: Ha ha ha ha!
Sam Popack predicts that; all the bad Muslims will soon be in the Muslim heaven with seventy two goats each
$10 says now that the dust has settled and Assad is firmly in power, the Arabs will re-admit Assad to the “Arab League” So much for gassing his own people.
Indeed.
oy vey! always mit ze gas!
‘anti’ ‘semite’
The Syrian ruler would accept an external UN frame, but is clearly opposed to any outside attempts by the UN or anyone else to interfere in the country’s internal political dialogue or try to impose solutions on the parties.
Interesting. No one seems to care if everyone interferes and damand Israel follow their two state solution. Even if doing so would just identify two states at war. It solves nothing.
Is McStain still alive?
Starting to look like the coalition in Psalm 83 that tries to cut off Israel from being a nation.
Agreed
I’m thinking Psalm 83 has already been fulfilled, but Isaiah 17:1 is still future; not to mention Ezekiel 38 and 39. Did you notice the next meeting is just Russia, Iran and Turkey?
Psalm 83 is future as the language of the word of God is literal, not symbolic. The fiery tempest is the literal accompaniment of Christ’s literal second coming. That has not yet happened.
don’t you mean “…cut off the ‘jews’….”? Isreal, the idolatrous Zionist atomic project in Palestine is a ‘state’.
The modern state of “Syria” is totally the product of outside imposition of will, aka “Sykes-Picot”. Its degeneration is a product of unjust rule and yet more outside interference, and its disintegration is pretty much an accomplished fact. I wish the poor bastards in Syria could see the benefits of Yahweh’s kingdom, but if even the Jews and Christians miss that mark, how likely are Muslims to find it? Peace to all of good will.
It’s “good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). “Peace to men of good will” is a humanistic corruption of the text.
Good historical observation relative to Sykes-Picot.
Benefits? The ‘kingdom of heaven’? Do you think that ‘haShem’ has called on men to plunge the earth into a total war and to impose the military solution on ‘Palestine’? With deception? Is this His honour that we should worship him??
The whole smelly rats’ nest is being disturbed: first by the no-nonsense Saudi declaration to mercilessly persecute the Hizballah as a “murderous terrorist” body, which has nothing to do with the “falastynian” situation, and second: by the imminent close (albeit tacit) co-operation between Israel and the new Saudi regime !
There were pretty sick anti-Israel comments in here. All of them are based on obvious feelings and, in terms of content, on overstretched interpretations. At the same time the commenters, some of them at least, sound rather intelligent. From outside of this kind of comments, say in the place I stand, it seems obvious that people are “logically dishonest” or, in other words, took the path of “conscious dishonor.” I don’t know how that works exactly. Maybe this kind of intellectual behaviour builds upon one general idea developed in Islam: All means are good to fight infidels. All right, I cannot argue with that. I can only let you people know: Your dishonesty is apparent, your dishonorable conduct, I believe, will turn on yourself, sooner or later. How could it be otherwise?
‘…overstretched interpretations…’
coming from a blatant judeophiliac anti ‘semite’, a bit rich.
Congratulations to Bashar Assad. He escaped being assassinated and it only took him 7 years for 500,000 mostly innocent people in Syria to die, and perhaps 3,000,000 people to be displaced. What will he do for an encore?
Stupid . Look into the mirror who started it.
You read too much Western MSM all these while
It ain’t over till Damascus is a ruinous heap.
Sorry. ISISrael failed.
Just like Lebanon, 2006.
Duck and cover bitches.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out Al Assad’s days in power are numbered. It is Russia and Iran in control. I expect him to be replaced soon, now that the dust is settling. He is not invited to the Sochi conference, doesn’t that say enough? I think he has served his purpose and is no longer of use to the new rulers.
Peaceout, ISISrael! Oded Yinon longs for your success in the afterlife!
It will be quite amusing to watch what happens after Avgidor blows his load and ignites another FAILED invasion of Lebanon.
Nasrallah will have the panic-stricken, geriatric land-grabbing betwetters running for cover morning, noon, and night!
In your face the champions of terror are almost ready to turn on Israel. Who will dare to refuse such an “opportunity”? Yes their common play thing is zyklon B, or equivalent stuff. Ok we were created equal but not the same (Thomas Jefferson).
I wonder whether the Kremlin photographer was told to specifically emphasize the two prominent bumps on Assad’s forehead. The subliminal photo-message here is “Assad took his devil’s horns off for the visit with Putin”. It looks like the Russian Orthodox Church has found the devil for future punishment and to hail King Putin for outsmarting the devil himself.
“I wonder whether the Kremlin photographer was told to specifically emphasize the two prominent bumps on Assad’s forehead. The subliminal photo-message here is “Assad took his devil’s horns off for the visit with Putin” ”
And to think that that guy (the dictator Assad) was once an eye doctor in London!
you are all doomed, Qatar is coming for you all