International Relations, Towards Understanding not Costly Collision

As the New Year begins, international relations seem to be proceeding towards agreement and understanding not collision and costly confrontation. Therefore, the foreign backed parties, who seek the militarization of international relations for some political purposes are to find themselves out of the entire equation, because any of the parties concerned can’t afford the human, economic and political consequences of such an adventure.

Those immature politicians must realize the fact that they can’t ignore or surpass the political power of some states and have to keep in mind that powerful countries don’t design their politics or draw their global strategies to suit or embody the aspirations of a certain political group, however loyal this group is to their foreign agenda. They also must know that political statements and announced stances made by the officials of these powerful countries on sensitive issues, which influence international and regional security and peace, is something and implementing these stances on ground is something else. Here, the balance of gains and losses at the national level is the basis of adopting options.

 The ongoing crisis in Syria is complicated that any of the concerned elements can’t claim ability to adopt a final decisive option for its interest, except the local element when it blocks all attempts of foreign forces’ intervention.

In an objective reading to the military and social facts on ground, supported by a national political will, we can conclude that the crisis in Syria is heading towards a political not a military solution which is based on direct foreign intervention.

Hence, the essence of Geneva Statement and Kofi Annan’s Six-Point Plan in addition to some positive initiatives, that can be prepared and carried out by the UN Syria Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, have become the suitable ground to attain a political solution to the crisis based on dialogue.

All parties have realized that the Syrian national leadership don’t accept any solutions under political and media pressure or under economic siege and military force, because this leadership is confident that it has got plenty of strength points as to confront its political regional and international enemies and has got friends and allies who support it at regional and international arenas. This must make Syria’s enemies, who target its sovereignty, unity and people to reconsider their policies, check the balance of gains and losses and re-read the situation carefully as it is, not as they want or imagine it to be, since there is a wide gap between reality and imagination. 

Dr. Khalaf al-Miftah

Translated by H. Mustafa