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| Syrian opposition backs cease-fire even as battles rage in final hours | Syrian opposition backs cease-fire even as battles rage in final hours |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BEIRUT — Syria’s main opposition group pledged Friday to abide by a partial cease-fire backed by both rebel allies and foes, giving the plan a boost just hours before it was scheduled to take effect. | BEIRUT — Syria’s main opposition group pledged Friday to abide by a partial cease-fire backed by both rebel allies and foes, giving the plan a boost just hours before it was scheduled to take effect. |
| The Saudi-backed umbrella group, known as the Higher Negotiations Committee, said in a statement that 97 opposition factions would observe the agreement, which seeks to pause the multifaceted conflict that has killed more than 250,000 people, displaced millions and empowered extremist groups such as the Islamic State. | |
| Meanwhile in Syria, warring groups clawed for final-hour gains before the cease-fire begins at midnight (5 p.m. EST). | Meanwhile in Syria, warring groups clawed for final-hour gains before the cease-fire begins at midnight (5 p.m. EST). |
| But the success of the plan — hammered out during a diplomatic blitz led by the United States and Russia — hinges on keeping together a host of competing interests and rival allegiances that have shown little interest in finding common ground in the past. | |
| The range of motives reflects the complications. | The range of motives reflects the complications. |
| For Russia — which began airstrikes in Syria last year — a critical objective is keeping intact the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which is also backed by Iran. The United States, which has sided with anti-Assad rebels, hopes to calm Syria’s civil war and concentrate the fight on the Islamic State. | For Russia — which began airstrikes in Syria last year — a critical objective is keeping intact the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which is also backed by Iran. The United States, which has sided with anti-Assad rebels, hopes to calm Syria’s civil war and concentrate the fight on the Islamic State. |
| Aid groups want to reach places cut off by the battles. And neighboring Turkey is worried about the rising influence of Syrian Kurdish forces that it sees as a threat. | Aid groups want to reach places cut off by the battles. And neighboring Turkey is worried about the rising influence of Syrian Kurdish forces that it sees as a threat. |
| [Syria increasingly linked to region’s old Kurdish questions] | [Syria increasingly linked to region’s old Kurdish questions] |
| The truce has been pushed by the United States and Russia as a last-ditch measure to reduce hostilities that have produced a dangerously intensifying proxy war involving regional and world powers. | The truce has been pushed by the United States and Russia as a last-ditch measure to reduce hostilities that have produced a dangerously intensifying proxy war involving regional and world powers. |
| The Syrian government is expected to declare official support for the plan Friday to the U.N. envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who will then brief the United Nations Security Council. | |
| The 15-member body circulated a draft resolution on Thursday backing the plan, which it hopes to endorse Friday, Reuters reported. The draft, obtained by the news agency, demands, among other things, that “all parties to whom the cessation of hostilities applies . . . fulfill their commitments.” | |
| Moreover, de Mistura has said he intends to resume peace negotiations. The talks collapsed earlier this month because pro-government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, made startling advances against rebels in northern Syria near the strategic city of Aleppo. | Moreover, de Mistura has said he intends to resume peace negotiations. The talks collapsed earlier this month because pro-government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, made startling advances against rebels in northern Syria near the strategic city of Aleppo. |
| [Turkey’s fears bring wild card to cease-fire efforts] | |
| Activists, meanwhile, said forces loyal to Assad continued to battle rebels in northwestern Latakia province, a strategic area where opposition forces are fed cross-border supplies from NATO-member Turkey, an opponent of the Syrian leader. | |
| Ankara has expressed tentative support for the agreement, as have the Syrian Kurdish forces that Turkey has been targeting with cross-border attacks. Turkey, which says it still has the right to respond to threats inside Syria, opposes those forces because of their links with domestic Kurdish separatists. | |
| Assad also favors the truce, which excludes the Islamic State, al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups classified as terrorists. His government’s warplanes have been pounding rebel-held areas near Damascus, the capital, including Daraya. Residents of that area have faced an escalation in air raids in recent days, according to activists from the area. | Assad also favors the truce, which excludes the Islamic State, al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups classified as terrorists. His government’s warplanes have been pounding rebel-held areas near Damascus, the capital, including Daraya. Residents of that area have faced an escalation in air raids in recent days, according to activists from the area. |
| Daraya residents reject claims by the Assad government that Islamic State and al-Qaeda fighters operate in their area. | Daraya residents reject claims by the Assad government that Islamic State and al-Qaeda fighters operate in their area. |
| [Kerry’s desperate push over Syrian] | [Kerry’s desperate push over Syrian] |
| Also on Friday, multiple airstrikes hit the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area near the capital, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict. | Also on Friday, multiple airstrikes hit the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area near the capital, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict. |
| In September, Russia intervened militarily in the conflict to prop up Assad, launching deadly air raids that Syrians say have killed militants but also scores of civilians and laid waste to hospitals and other noncombatant infrastructure. | |
| The United States and Russia plan to co-chair a Cease-Fire Task Force on Friday, and attempt to demarcate territory held by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. The task force will also help with monitoring and enforcing compliance and establish a hotline for exchanging information about the cease-fire. | |
| Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate, poses particular problems because the group’s militants are interwoven with other rebel fighters. Syrian opposition media reported Thursday that Nusra militants have evacuated some areas in the rebel-held Idlib province to avoid attack after the cease-fire takes effect. | |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| Vladimir Putin finds much to celebrate about Russia’s role in Syria truce | Vladimir Putin finds much to celebrate about Russia’s role in Syria truce |
| Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world |