Syrian regime truces, deception and stalling tactics

For five consecutive years, the Syrian regime has maintained the illusion that "it is victorious and capable of resolving the ongoing conflict in the country and of initiating successful truces with the opposition", deluding many of its allies. The regime maintains its relentless efforts to influence international public opinion with such this illusion.

However, the reality of the situation in Syria emerges from the mist every time a line of communication is established with civilians and activists on the ground in Syria, who say that "the story sold by the regime is tainted with lies and the situation is steadily deteriorating."

The Syrian regime is now at its weakest. Closing the Muadamiyet al-Sham border crossing in the rural region west of Damascus is a clear sign of deterioration. Ziad, a resident from the area, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that "the regime closed the Muadamiyet al-Sham crossing allowing nothing to pass through, whether it be food or medicine or even clothes."

"A border control personnel even took the remains of a sandwich from a child's hand and threatened the child's mother of consequences if they did not abide by the instructions," Ziad recalled.

Border control personnel even took the remains of a sandwich from a child's hand and threatened the child's mother of consequences.

Ziad continued "This is the level of inspection at the border, even women have to be thoroughly searched by female personnel who were brought here particularly to perform this task. If a traveller is found carrying a small quantity of rice with them, for example, the border crossing personnel would throw it on the ground for all to see and attack the traveller with insults and threats."

Punitive measures

For his part, Husam Ayyash, a member of the local council of Darya, a town adjacent to Muadamiyet al-Sham, told al-Araby: "The town council of Muadamiyet al-Sham - with a population estimated at 30,000 - agreed a reconciliation agreement or a truce with the regime last year, but the regime broke the agreement and closed the only passage to town about a month and a half ago. Only recently, the regime has allowed entry and exit of residents via the border crossing, however, it forbade travelling with personal effects of any kind, whether it is food, clothes or anything else."

Ayyash added: "Recently, the regime agreed to allow members of the negotiations committee from Muadamiyet al-Sham to exit the town and to meet up with the reconciliation committee, which comprises the Fourth Army Regiment of the Syrian regime. According to our source, the regime put forward new conditions for the reopening of the border crossing, including regulating armament within the town. There were also rumours that the regime requested the town hand over their weapons and denying access to Muadamiyet al-Sham for militants from outside the town, as well as controlling the borders with Darya."

In addition, Ayyash told al-Araby that the local council "did not receive any information that would confirm that there is a direct correlation between the militant operations in Darya - a building booby-trap bomb operation and the attempt to 'liberate' the Shia shrine of Sakina - and the closing of the border crossing."

Ayyash said he believed that "even when the probability of this link is taken into account, the coordination between the militant leadership in the two towns remains limited."

On the situation in Darya, which has been under a siege since November 2012, Ayyash commented: "Recently, we achieved some advancements on the ground. The town, of course, is still under a complete siege and negotiations are currently stalled, after a failed number of apprehensive attempts to revive the process.

Regardless, the town's negotiations committee had requested a show of goodwill from the regime by releasing the detained women and children. But, the regime did not even entertain the idea of a discussion concerning the detainees. In fact, the regime has recently intensified their arrest operations detaining a large number of Darya residents, many of whom were women and children."

The situation in many towns in the south of Damascus is not dissimilar to that in Muadamiyet al-Sham and Darya. Several months ago, the besieged towns of Bait Sahem, Babbila and Yalda had also signed the "reconciliation" agreement, as referred to by the regime.

Starvation as a weapon of war

Media activist in southern Damascus Thaer al-Dimashqi told Al-Araby: "The regime closed the Babbila crossing about two months ago without prior notice. Access of food items and supplies to the area has been prevented since. This situation obliged the area's residents to call for the removal of the Nusra Front from Beit Sahem in order to attain access of food to their towns, which in turn led to clashes between militant factions and Nusra fighters resulting in casualties from both sides. However, the regime still did not remove the blockade or allow for aid to enter the area."

"Of course, this is not taking into account the recent shipment of aid received by the displaced residents of Yarmouk refugee camp as a result of UN pressure," Dimashqi retracted. He continued: "The regime has been deceitful to the residents of the south of Damascus, as it was supposed to allow for freedom of movement after agreeing the 'reconciliation' and release the detainees, starting with women and children, as per terms of agreement."

Moreover, political activist Abd al-Rahman from al-Hameh town in the countryside of Damascus told al-Araby that his town "signed a truce with the regime several months ago, but the regime has maintained a suffocating blockade on Hameh for the past 100 days or so. Nothing is allowed to enter or leave the town."

Until now, the regime is disconnected from reality.

Rahman said that "out of the 50,000 residents of Hameh, there are dozens of dissidents and thousands who refused to perform their military service. The town's residents live under extremely harsh conditions". He revealed that "the neighbouring town of Qudsiyeh - with a population of about 500,000 - attempted to alleviate the harsh conditions imposed by the blockade by signing a reconciliation agreement with the regime and by accepting the condition for forming unarmed local committees loyal to the regime."

Rahman also indicated that "currently, the regime is requesting that the residents of Hameh accept the presence of military checkpoints and local committees affiliated to the regime. In return, the regime would allow for food items to enter the town. But, this is not met by the approval of many militant factions currently in control."

"The towns residents and the militant factions lost all trust to the deceitful regime, especially after the regime did not fulfil its promises as dictated by the terms of the truce, including the release of the detainees and ensuring freedom of movement to the residents of Hameh. However, the regime did not release a single prisoner. In fact, the number of detainees has increased as did the pressure from the blockade. The regime is demanding more concessions be made without granting the people any of their rights back in return save for the basic food requirements," he added.

For his part, opposition activist Zuhair Mohammed from Damascus told al-Araby: "The regime has been dishonest, to the Syrian people and the world, concerning the achievements of the reconciliation efforts with the opposition. These efforts have been mainly starvation truces and all those signed where in a few limited and besieged areas and the regime has not been true to the terms, except for access of food supplies, but even that was not maintained at a regular pace."

Mohammed added: "The regime attempted to spread discord among the neighbouring rebel territories by besieging one area while allowing food supplies into another on condition that food is not passed on to the besieged neighbours. The regime also attempted to invoke notions of favouritism to one faction over another, which would plant the seeds of disunity amongst the people and factions opposing the regime."

He also considered that "until this day, the regime is disconnected from reality and its mainstream channel believes that its recording and reporting on its daily victories and achievements. The regime is under the delusion that it will bring Syria out of the crises and back to the state prior to the events of 2011, as if it is unaware of the risks of social, economic and political collapse. This is why the regime keeps stalling on making real reconciliation or concessions with the opposition and the Syrian people, driving itself further into the abyss."

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.