Al-Youm al-Sabe, Egypt, January 1
The battle over Aleppo ended a few weeks ago with the Syrian opposition agreeing to withdraw from the city following a long-lasting siege imposed upon its residents. There is no doubt that other than the symbolic victory over the rebels, this battle marks an important development for Basahr Al-Assad: the Syrian opposition has finally incurred a significant loss and is willing to return to the negotiations table. What is absolutely mind boggling is that while all of this is happening, President Obama signed an executive order allowing to arm Syrian rebels with advanced weapons, including shoulder missiles, in order to assist them in their fight against the Syrian regime. While one hand attempts to reach a ceasefire, the other arms the militants, prolongs the war, and exacerbates the situation on the ground. The United States could have assisted the rebels throughout the last couple months of intense fighting. Instead, it does so now, after these opposition forces sustained a loss and agreed to compromise with Assad. Neither side in this conflict is free of guilt and both the rebels and Assad have a fair share of blood on their hands. But why obstruct the first attempt in months to finally reach a ceasefire? – Samih Saeb