Chris Doyle

The blame game started even before the guns fell silent. And now it has reach a crescendo of outrage, as US officials accuse Russia of carrying out an airstrike that hit an aid convoy northwest of Aleppo, destroying 18 out of 31 lorries.

Russia publicly denies it as it must, but if the US is proved to be right, then the message from the Kremlin is clear — we are prepared to do anything and have no red lines.

The tenuous ceasefire in Syria appears to have collapsed following this attack and the earlier one that killed 62 Syrian army soldiers in Deir Azzor.…  Seguir leyendo »

Any serious chances of salvaging a political deal in Syria lie with John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov. Only when the US and Russia are in full agreement and working together is there any chance of corralling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the disparate forces on the ground to engage in a political process.

But to date, such cooperation has been momentary, not lasting.

The US-Russia talks have thus far failed to deliver, and few gave much credence to the Saudi foreign minister’s recent statement that a deal could still happen within 24 hours. Russian President Vladimir Putin as yet has felt in no mood to acquiesce to American wishes for a deal, including an agreement for a no-fly zone in northern Syria.…  Seguir leyendo »