Most of the world has a stake in the success of the talks about Syria which have begun in Geneva, Switzerland, weak though their prospects for success might appear to be. ADVERTISING Most of the world has a stake in
Most of the world has a stake in the success of the talks about Syria which have begun in Geneva, Switzerland, weak though their prospects for success might appear to be.
First of all has to be the importance of the matter for the Syrians themselves. An estimated 320,000 of them have died so far in the nearly five years of war. The country itself has been torn into fragments, nearly all of which are dominated by an armed group fueled by hatred of other Syrian groups. As many as 11 million Syrians have been displaced by the war, either internally or driven into exile outside of Syria.
It is truly difficult to imagine there ever existing again a unified Syria with an agreed-upon national government. The impact of all that has happened on the economy of the country has been a death sentence on any near-time return to a reasonable standard of living for the Syrian population.
In addition, the storm of the Syrian conflict has drawn into its vortex its neighbors and a number of great international powers.
Syria is one of the major sources of the horrendous migration of refugees and asylum seekers into Western Europe.
Now the talks have begun, but with serious barriers remaining. United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura has pointed to two. The first is the remaining issue of which Syrian opposition groups will participate in the talks. The second is the ambivalent role of international parties: They can play a modest positive role, or they can twist the arms of the Syrian parties too hard, permitting them to disown as imposed any results that are achieved.
These talks cannot be allowed to fail. The stakes are far too high.
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
