With a new UN Syrian envoy soon to be in place, and an apparently strong international desire to end the war, here are three essential elements of a workable post-war Syria: [First, ensure that refugees and all other displaced Syrians have a home to return to. Second, the Syrian government and others need to reveal what happened to the disappeared. Finally, there needs to be progress on justice.] ...
None of these efforts will be easy to accomplish. But if the aim is to see a peaceful and prosperous Syria, then they are essential.
Just who in Syria seeks a "peaceful and prosperous Syria?"
Assad who just wants to rule?
Russia which just wants bases?
Iran which just wants to destroy Israel?
So none of those actors "must" do anything at all to explain the "disappeared" or do any other lovely thing that actors unwilling to refrain from killing hundreds of thousands and driving millions into refugee status within Syria and abroad to get their objectives would need to do to get a peaceful and prosperous Syria.
Assad won. And he brought Russia and Iran along for the ride. The idea that the winners will say, "Oh sorry! We repent!" is delusional.
Arguably, the only people who wanted a peaceful and prosperous Syria were those who rose up against Assad in 2011 but were killed off by Assad and marginalized by jihadis (part of Assad's intent) as the war dragged on.
And we got here because America refused to lead a response early in the rebellion when everyone assumed Assad was doomed, out of a misguided notion that our actions would "further militarize" the conflict.
Is Syria still a "significant success" in our diplomacy?
