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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/09/america-russia-syrian-crisis
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| America, Russia and the Syrian crisis | America, Russia and the Syrian crisis |
| (12 days later) | |
| "Experience suggests Obama cannot count on Russian help to fix Syria," says Simon Tisdall (Syria crisis has forced timid Obama into a corner, 8 May). Obviously he believes that America has been doing its best to end the Syrian catastrophe through peaceful means, obstructed by Russia. That version of events is widely but not universally accepted. America and Russia have again committed themselves to the Geneva agreement reached in June 2012, and talked up hopes for a high-level conference to take place within weeks. What matters now is that both countries throw their phenomenal soft power and diplomatic clout into making sure this conference goes ahead and doing their best to make it a success. John Kerry, US secretary of state, is quite right in this context when he says "committed partners can accomplish great things together". Our government must do its best to help in this endeavour. Brendan O'Brien London | "Experience suggests Obama cannot count on Russian help to fix Syria," says Simon Tisdall (Syria crisis has forced timid Obama into a corner, 8 May). Obviously he believes that America has been doing its best to end the Syrian catastrophe through peaceful means, obstructed by Russia. That version of events is widely but not universally accepted. America and Russia have again committed themselves to the Geneva agreement reached in June 2012, and talked up hopes for a high-level conference to take place within weeks. What matters now is that both countries throw their phenomenal soft power and diplomatic clout into making sure this conference goes ahead and doing their best to make it a success. John Kerry, US secretary of state, is quite right in this context when he says "committed partners can accomplish great things together". Our government must do its best to help in this endeavour. Brendan O'Brien London |
| • Your assertion that the US "has hesitated to arm" the Syrian rebels (Report, 9 May) is contradicted by a March 2013 story in the New York Times that noted "with help from the CIA, Arab governments and Turkey have sharply increased their military aid to Syrian opposition fighters in recent months, expanding a secret airlift of arms and equipment for the uprising against Bashar al-Assad". The same report quoted an arms expert from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute as saying "a conservative estimate of the payload of these flights would be 3,500 tons of military equipment". If this is the US "hesitating", God helps us if they get actively involved. Ian Sinclair London | • Your assertion that the US "has hesitated to arm" the Syrian rebels (Report, 9 May) is contradicted by a March 2013 story in the New York Times that noted "with help from the CIA, Arab governments and Turkey have sharply increased their military aid to Syrian opposition fighters in recent months, expanding a secret airlift of arms and equipment for the uprising against Bashar al-Assad". The same report quoted an arms expert from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute as saying "a conservative estimate of the payload of these flights would be 3,500 tons of military equipment". If this is the US "hesitating", God helps us if they get actively involved. Ian Sinclair London |
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