US regime change policy leads Syria talks to failure: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Paul Antonopoulos, a political commentator from Sydney, about the role of foreign powers in the Syria peace negotiations.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Essentially there seems to be a major disconnect when it comes to the reality on the ground in Syria and the reality around the negotiating table, what’s your opinion?

Antonopoulos: Well, the weakness of the ceasefire is that it does not include ISIS (Daesh) or al-Nusra, who are the strongest terrorist forces fighting against the government. Basically we saw the supposed moderate rebels allied with al-Nusra.

The USA is struggling to separate their alliances. ISIS and al-Nusra are not adhering to the ceasefire; therefore, the US-Russia brokered ceasefire cannot hold as the supposed moderate rebels stay loyal to al-Nusra. We have to remember that Russian President Vladimir Putin has successfully negotiated ceasefires before, most recently between the YPG and the Syrian army and in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenian paramilitaries and Azerbaijan.

And despite these successes Washington is refusing to recognize the other fighting forces of Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam as terrorist organizations, despite sharing the same Saudi-Wahhabi ideology of ISIS and al-Nusra, we know this because Washington wants Assad gone at all cost even if the mythological moderate rebels are allied to al-Qaeda linked groups.

Press TV: And given the perspective that you drew for us, what’s your prediction regarding the future of the peace talks in Syria at a time when the terrorists on the ground namely those two groups that you mentioned Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham, they are part of the negotiating team that is talking with the Syrian government around the tables. How do you see the future coming?

Antonopoulos: The Syrian Arab army, Russia, Iran and their allies and Hezbollah and various paramilitaries are preparing for a huge military operation throughout the Aleppo Province. The continued violation of the ceasefire by the terrorist forces allow the world to say Russia has pursued peace, but it’s the Saudi and Western-backed groups like Ahrar al-Sham who are not working towards it.

Damascus and Moscow would know these groups weren’t accepting the truce or ceasefire, and will continue to violate the ceasefire. Therefore, the only way the Syrian army and its allies can respond to the violations of the ceasefire is through military means. As a peaceful resolution has not been successful despite the cooperation of the USA and Russia in trying to achieve one.

Press TV: Recently the UN envoy to the Syrian talks Mr. de Mistura, he was urging that Russia and the US, Moscow and Washington, to have some sort of a convergent view and position and attitude when it comes to the next round of peace talks. Do you think that’s anything achievable?

Antonopoulos: It makes it difficult when the USA is refusing to recognize Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham as terrorist groups. As I said earlier they share the same Wahhabi ideology as ISIS as al-Nusra. So, why the USA does not recognize them as terrorist groups, cannot be understood, and most importantly the YPG are not included at these talks either. And as we know that they are a major fighting force on the ground.

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