Press Conference on Syria: Speeches Without Solutions

Yesterday's press conference provided a fascinating spectacle, with each delegation competing in eloquence to defend positions they were not prepared to change. As usual, the big powers monopolized attention, while the smaller nations tried to remind everyone that human lives were at stake. 

True to form, Russia justified the need to support the Syrian government by referring to the fight against terrorist organizations. It ignored criticism of interference, preferring to insist on the impossibility of a ceasefire, which the delegation deemed “temporary” and “ineffective”. The delegation concluded by saying that it was better to prolong the conflict than risk losing control.

For their part, the United States absolves themselves of any responsibility, diverting attention from the sanctions they are imposing on Syria by accusing the Syrian government of being responsible for the current situation in Syria through embezzlement, drug trafficking, and general incapacity. As for the protection of civilians, the delegation gave a very formal response.

The Maltese delegation spoke out on the ideological divisions that handicap all delegations in reaching a possible agreement. Sierra Leone, with total sincerity, tried to make the other delegations aware of the sad reality of the situation in Syria through its own experience of civil war. A touching proposal, but one that was not considered in the exchanges that followed.

And then, the Turkish delegation concluded the conference. Between its ambiguous support for Syrian rebels and its war on terrorism, its position remains unclear. Despite a few promises of dialogue, one senses that its real aim is less to stabilize the region than to impose its interests.

In the end, this press conference merely confirmed the obvious: the Syrian crisis is a playground for powers more concerned with their struggles for influence than with the fate of civilians.... An unfortunate but predictable observation.