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Executive Summary for February 13th

To give you an overview of the latest news, we’ve organized the latest Syrian developments in a curated summary.

Published on Feb. 13, 2014 Read time Approx. 4 minutes

Opposition Plan for Postwar Syria Ignores Assad

Reuters reports that the Syrian opposition “called on Wednesday for a transitional governing body to oversee a U.N.-monitored cease-fire across Syria and expel foreign fighters, in a paper that avoided any mention of President Bashar al-Assad.”

The paper “lays out a vision of post-conflict Syria with all ethnic groups participating in a transition process aimed at restoring peace and stability. Opposition and diplomatic sources said it deliberately does not refer to Assad, in line with a text agreed by world powers in June 2012, which calls for a transitional body with full executive authority, including over the security apparatus and the army, but which leaves the Syrian ruler’s fate open.

“‘I think that the opposition has come to the obvious conclusion that the best way to deal with Assad is to avoid mentioning him,’ one Middle Eastern diplomat said.

The memorandum was presented to mediator Lakhdar Brahimi and a Syrian government delegation at a joint session at talks in Geneva. The transitional authority will be ‘the only legitimate body that represents the sovereignty and independence of the Syrian state and is the only one that represents the Syrian state internationally,’ the paper said.”

Aid and Evacuations Continue in Homs

The BBC reports on the ongoing effort to evacuate citizens from besieged areas of Homs city and provide humanitarian aid to those staying. Thus far, the mission has been plagued by problems, including an attack on the United Nations who are carrying it out.

“More than 200 civilians left, joining hundreds allowed out since the truce was agreed on Friday. But concerns remain over the fate of men of military age who face questioning by the Syrian authorities,” the network says.

“Evacuations over the weekend were facilitated by a three-day truce, which was then extended until Wednesday, though the relief operation was halted by a day on Tuesday due to logistical reasons. Nearly 200 parcels containing flour, rice, vegetable oil and other foodstuffs were delivered on Wednesday.

“The U.N.’s local humanitarian co-ordinator, Yacoub El Hillo, and Homs Governor Talal Barazi said more than 200 civilians had been taken out of Homs in Wednesday’s operation. But hundreds of civilians remain trapped inside the Old City. Mr. Barazi said an extension to the current cease-fire, due to end late on Wednesday, could be agreed.

U.N. agencies have also expressed concern over the fate of dozens of men who were taken in by Syrian security personnel after they fled Homs. Mr. Barazi said 111 men had been questioned and released, while 190 others were still being held.”

Russia Denounces Syria Aid Draft, Says it Could Open Door to Military Action

Reuters also reports that Russia has denounced a Western and Arab-backed U.N. Security Council resolution on humanitarian aid access in Syria as “a bid to lay the groundwork for military strikes” against the Assad government.

“Russia announced it would veto the current text because it contains ‘one-sided accusations’ against Assad’s government, though Russia and its Security Council ally China said they are prepared to negotiate on a new draft if such a move could boost aid access,” the wire reports.

“Since receiving the draft resolution on Thursday, Moscow has been outspoken in its opposition. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described it as ‘detached from reality,’ while U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin dismissed it as a ‘non-starter.’

“On Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov added to Moscow’s argument: ‘Its whole purpose and aim is to create grounds for future military action against the Syrian government if some demands it includes are not met.’”

Escaped Inmates From Iraq Fuel Syrian Insurgency

The New York Times reports that a series of breakouts from Iraqi prisons “has freed hundreds of hardened militants who are now among the leaders and foot soldiers of the radical Sunni groups operating in neighboring Syria.

“The role of the former inmates in fueling a new wave of Sunni jihad across the region is an unfortunate reminder of the breakdown of authority in Iraq since the United States departed in 2011, of the security vacuum that has spread around the region and of the continuing threat of Sunni-led terrorist groups that the United States said it was fighting during its occupation of Iraq,” it writes

“The prison breaks also reflect the surging demand for experienced fighters, which led to a concerted effort by militant groups, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, to seek them in the one place where they were held en masse – Iraq’s prison cells.

“The prison breaks, and the mayhem they helped fuel in Syria, also had the effect of altering the calculus of many Western officials toward the war there. In the beginning, they saw the conflict in the terms of a dictator – President Bashar al-Assad – brutally oppressing his largely peaceful opponents.”

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team:

WSJ: Assad Intervenes to Try and Salvage Homs Humanitarian Mission

BBC: Surge in Fighting Death Toll

BBC: The Remote- Controlled Robot Waiting to Save Lives on Syria’s Urban Battlefield

Washington Post: This Map of Syria Shows Why the War Will Be So Hard to End

Washington Post: Mr Obama’s New Tone on Syria

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