Baladi News – (Mona Ali)
It has become clear that the biggest obstacle hindering the conclusion of any solution is Idlib. The states concerned with the Syrian case declared the failure of the fifth stage of Astana negotiations due to not solving the dilemma of Idlib. Nevertheless, the three states, Russia, Turkey, and Iran, had reached during the same stage an agreement regarding two out of the four de-escalation areas, namely Homs Northern Countryside and Eastern Ghouta. Two days later, Russia and the United States surprisingly announced reaching a solution in southern Syria covering Daraa, Quneitra, and Sweida, whereas only the fate of Idlib is still ambiguous amid internal and external conflicts to control it.
The failure of Astana 5, which kept the fate of Idlib uncertain, led many refugees to refrain from staying therein, preferring to return to Turkey after the end of the Eid holiday. Some parties started spreading rumors that ISIS seeks to move towards Idlib after losing its Raqqa, its capital, which gives rise to many possibilities, including a massacre as anticipated by American newspapers that stated a while ago that the worst did not happen in Syria yet, in reference to genocide against 2 million residents and forcible displaced people.
Syrian writer Abdul Rahman Hallak considered that "Russia is convinced that Idlib is the share of Assad's regime, and it will be almost impossible for Turkey to enter Idlib unless there is full trust between the United States and Turkey and provided that the Turkish forces will be positioned over a few kilometers near their borders to safeguard their territories."
"The regime's plan to capture Idlib will be based on soft penetration and will involve entrusting close and well-trained individuals to raise the idea of reconciliation. The fact that the regime returned the supply of electricity and volunteered to provide services to some areas is merely part of this plan. In order for this plan to succeed, al-Nusra and the like should only continue their oppression, detentions, explosions, and restrictions on residents. That time, it will make no difference for people either to live such a miserable life or to accept a safe life provided by Assad's thug," the speaker added.