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Diplomacy gets a chance in Syria

The regime is fighting with its back to the wall against the terrorists. Had it not been support from Russia and Iran, it could have collapsed by now.

Russia and the United States, it seems, have found some common ground on Syria. Their eagerness to find a diplomatic solution to the five-year-long conflict is a welcome step. It indicates a return to talks after years in the wilderness of violence during which the Arab country slid into an abyss of chaos and anarchy. With more than two million people homeless and around 250,000 killed, the country's infrastructure is in ruins.
Ordinary Syrians have suffered enough. Good sense has now prevailed and calls from Moscow and Washington to give diplomacy a chance could stop the catastrophe. But will President Assad be allowed to hang on? And if he does, for how long?
Europe, meanwhile, is busy containing the migrant crisis from Syria. It fears that some of the destitute crossing the frontiers into the Eurozone could also have terrorist links. The West faces a real and present threat to its institutions and people if the conflict drags on.
In other words the refugee crisis and the rise of Daesh have spurred the latest round of talks. Finding a diplomatic solution to the mess in Syria is, therefore, important.
The point of contention, however, is what should be the timeline for President Bashar Al Assad's departure? While Moscow puts its weight behind the regime in Damascus, Washington agrees Assad could be tolerated for as long as Daesh is wiped out.
The regime is fighting with its back to the wall against the terrorists. Had it not been support from Russia and Iran, it could have collapsed by now.
US Secretary of State John Kerry asked his British counterpart Philip Hammond to find the middle ground through talks to address the imbroglio. But the question before the stakeholders is on what terms will Assad agree to step aside to pave way for a coalition of national parties.