"The local agreements are at the center of President Bashar al-Assad’s “national reconciliation” efforts and come as his government is accused of derailing talks between the two sides in the Swiss city of Geneva. Although the fine print differs, for the most part the agreements allow the areas to stay in rebel hands and for desperately needed food supplies to enter, as long as heavy weaponry is given up and rebels agree to stop attacks. In some areas, foreign fighters have been asked to leave. The war-weary suburbs that have agreed to the cease-fires have been subject to the Syrian army’s siege tactics for months, cut off by army checkpoints and pummeled with heavy artillery and airstrikes. “This is about saying that we will reach reconciliation truces without foreign intervention, we don't have to go to Geneva for this,” Yezid Sayigh, an analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center, said of the government effort." Washpost
---------------------
This does not fit the narrative sought by the US Government/ its media flunkies and the Likud/AIPAC complex. Not surprisingly this significant development is being given minimal coverage in the MSM. The programming narrative instead is focussed on a non-existent delay in CW removal from the country. Why not? The US Government's policy, apng incredible short sighted Israeli policy is altogether focussed on destruction of the present Syrian government. The mere factthat the CW policy has a deadline in June is ignored in search of propaganda points.
I forecast that this "oil spot" method of pacification will continue and will be a major featiure of the end game in the rebellion. pl
Sir,
Its amazing how much the media warps what's going on in order to shove it neatly into a box they've already made. Case in point I heard BBC talking about how police snipers were shooting "innocent protestors", completely ignoring the fact that these protestors were throwing molotovs at riot lines.
Disgusting.
Posted by: Tyler | 21 February 2014 at 10:27 AM
"talks falter", that's putting an optimistic spin on it.
Leaves me still wondering about the Saudis and grovelling output tho facts on the ground may preclude much more pointless chicanery.
Posted by: Charles I | 21 February 2014 at 12:11 PM
Today a colleague mentioned something about that Russia trying to get their fingers on Kiev.
I replied that, given the language and the fact that Kiev was once the capital of the Rus empire, the city was not all that unrussian.
... and with 'Ah, well, yes ...' the conversation died.
Posted by: confusedponderer | 21 February 2014 at 12:51 PM
Tyler,
Oh it gets reported, they just bury the lead:
http://news.yahoo.com/us-chemical-arms-ship-arrives-spain-083952399.html
The ship Assad's chemical weapons are suppposed to be deliverd to didn't arrive in Spain until Tuesday the 13th. What they've done for the past eight days isn't reported.
Posted by: Fred | 21 February 2014 at 02:56 PM