Peace Talks Aim To End Syrian Catastrophe

Over five years into its civil war, Syria is a catastrophic disaster where society has disintegrated, life expectancy plummeted, most people are jobless, and millions of children have abandoned school. The numbers are staggering. In 2010, life expectancy in Syria was almost 80 years. Today, life expectancy from birth is estimated at 55 years. Four out of five Syrians live in poverty, nearly 500,000 have lost their lives, 11 million have been displaced and two-thirds are unable to secure basic foods and essentials for daily life. After so much devastation and failed U.S.-Russian attempts at brokering an end to the blood shed, peace talks kicked off in Astana, Kazakhstan to find a lasting cease-fire in this brutal conflict.

While deep divisions remain, Russia and Iran are working to come to a mutual understanding. Both Iran and Russia support Assad, but they differ on key issues, including potential U.S. involvement in brokering a ceasefire.

The two-day Astana talks, organized by Russia without U.S. involvement, come as Moscow takes the diplomatic lead in the war after its 2015 military intervention profoundly effected the fighting in favor of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, much to the dismay of the U.S. and its allies.

Before the meetings began, observers expected to see the first face-to-face negotiations between the government and representatives of the armed opposition since the war began, but rebels refused to participate in direct talks over ceasefire violations. 

To what extent the U.S. would be involved in the talks remains a question looming large over the negotiations. With Iran and the Trump Administration at odds over new U.S. sanctions on Iran, Russia is left to convincing both nations to agree to work together. Furthering complicated the talks, opposition forces in Syria oppose any Iranian involvement.

Iran supports Assad and Hizbollah. Russia is supporting Assad.The U.S. has supported the rebels in hopes of ousting Assad. Trump wants to to rethink U.S. policy.

Confused?

Let's break it down...

Syrian Armed Forces: Loyal to the Assad government, supported by Russia.

Syrian Democratic Forces: An alliance of militias with the stated goal of a secular, democratic and federal Syria.

Free Syrian Army: Fighting against Assad government, supported by the U.S., France, U.K. and Turkey.

Al-Nusra Front: A Sunni militia with the aim of establishing an Islamist state in the country.

Hezbollah: A Shi'a Islamist militant group based in Lebanon, backed by Iran and supporting Assad.

ISIS: A jihadist militant group that follows a fundamentalist, brutal, Wahabi interpretation of Islam.

Iraqi Kurdistan: Iraqi Kurdish forces support Syrian Democratic Forces and seek to protect local Kurds.