Syria peace talks failure not in opposition’s interests: Pundit

Press TV has conducted an interview with E. Michael Jones, a writer, former professor, media commentator and the current editor of Culture Wars magazine, to discuss the consequences of failure of Syria peace talks in Geneva.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: What do you make of the way these talks … have progressed so far with Bashar Jaafari saying that they have not even started negotiations yet?

Jones: The main problem in a situation like this is: how do you certify groups that are nongovernmental groups? Every other party in these negotiations are … [the party representing] the government of Saudi Arabia … [and the party representing] the government of Russia. We do not know who these groups are, whether they really represent anybody or whether they are simply proxies of the Saudis and therefore they should be excluded just like the Saudis’ talks. So, I think the main problem is identifying these groups.

Press TV: What is the point of these talks? Are these talks just for the sake of talks, or is there any potential in getting to some form of a ceasefire or truce or even a solution?

Jones: I think you have to recognize how much things have changed since Russia’s entry into the war. If you remember the beginning [of war] back in 2010 and 2011, there was simply no possibility of negotiations unless Assad stepped down from power. That was a non-negotiable demand. That has completely disappeared now. Now, Assad is staying. Now, the Russians are determining the course of events and now it is up to the other side, the United States, the Saudis and their proxies to stop the momentum that Russia has. So, it is in their interest to get the talks going. It is not really in Russia’s interest.

Press TV: What type of tactics you see the Saudis and their allies are employing as far as these talks are concerned?

Jones: They will try to delay. But any type of delay would plays into Russia’s hand because the Russians have already sealed off the Turkish border which is the main supply line for these groups. Also we need to mention here the Saudi Arabia’s bogged down in Yemen and it is more than just a little hypocritical for them to start talking about humanitarian aid coming to these villages complaining about the Russians where they have enabled blockade on Yemen and are starving people there to death. So, they are going to have to get real and accept the facts on the ground and come to some type of reasonable solution.

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