Kerry says Russian targets in Syria must change

An unexploded cluster bomblet is seen along a street after airstrikes by pro-Syrian government forces in the rebel held al-Ghariyah al-Gharbiyah town, in Deraa province, Syria February 11, 2016.

Even with its limited success, this round of negotiations bears reason for optimism, since the last attempt at talks one month ago fell apart even before it began as Assad’s troops, backed by the Russians, pressed a strong offensive against the key rebel stronghold in Aleppo.

Saudi Arabia took its first step in preparing an invasion of Syria by moving ground forces and fighter aircraft to Turkey’s Incirlik base.

Major powers agreed on Friday to a limited cessation of hostilities in Syria but the deal does not take effect until the end of this week and was not signed by any warring parties – the Damascus government and numerous rebel factions fighting it.

There has been disagreement for years over whether “transition” requires Assad to leave power, as Western countries have been demanding in vain since 2011.

US Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated accusations that Russian Federation was hitting “legitimate opposition groups” and civilians with its bombing campaign in Syria and said Moscow must change its targets to respect the ceasefire deal. “It is not clear how Russian Federation defines that and it would not be in the interest of the United States to define terror groups inside Syria outside of Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State”, he said, using an alternative name for the Daesh group.

It remains unclear whether those commitments can be made to stick on the ground and whether deep differences regarding the truce and which groups would be eligible for it – between the USA and Russian Federation among others – can be overcome.

Mr Cavusoglu also said it was possible that troops from his country and Saudi Arabia might participate in a ground operation against IS forces.

“The mission of this is to bring hope to the Syrian people”, Dujarric said.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister says if the Syrian political process fails, President Bashar al-Assad will have to be removed “by force”.

“This could be the breakthrough we have been waiting for to get full access to desperate civilians inside Syria”.

Despite the territorial advances made in recent weeks by Assad’s forces, backed by Russian air strikes and military assistance by Iran, Jubeir said he did not believe the Syrian president would survive.

Some of these groups have received military training overseen by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Toner was responding to an interview Assad gave to AFP published earlier on Friday in which the Syrian president said he meant to liberate the whole country from control of the terrorists.

The army said late on Friday it had captured three areas to the northwest of Aleppo – advances confirmed by the Observatory.

Former U.S. ambassador to Syria Robert Ford says, “The most important thing is to somehow pressure the Russians and the Syrians to stop the aerial bombardments which are causing these floods of refugees”.

Kerry’s comments at the annual Munich Security Conference here came a day after he announced an agreement to send humanitarian relief to besieged cities in Syria and a “cessation of hostilities” within a week. “Unless and until there is a change in Syria, Daesh will not be defeated in Syria, period”, he argued. Medvedev said on Saturday it was simply not true.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday sharply criticized Russian Federation for its actions in Ukraine and Syria, accusing Moscow of “repeated aggression” in both places.