Syrian President Assad attends Arab League summit

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was in Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend an Arab League summit, as regional leaders reunited more than a decade after isolating Damascus following the regime’s violent crackdown on a popular uprising. Steps were taken to normalize relations, leading to a civil war.

In a sign of changing regional priorities, Arab states have stepped up their re-engagement with Assad in the hope that they can persuade him to act on issues that concern the plight of millions of refugees and a multibillion-dollar budget. Have gone beyond the borders including the plight. Trade in illegal drugs.

As part of a diplomatic push led by Saudi Arabia, Arab states plan to implement a plan to encourage refugees to go home and persuade Western powers to ease sanctions on the pariah state.

The plan was adopted at a meeting of Syrian, Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian and Iraqi foreign ministers last month, shortly before the Arab states agreed to admit Syria into the Arab League after 12 years of suspending the state.

Diplomats hope that, if successful, the refugee plan will encourage more Syrians to go home and persuade Arab states to ease sanctions to help the US and Europe rebuild the war-torn nation. Will enable

The plan was being discussed at the “highest level” at the United Nations, according to two people familiar with the matter. But he also said there were internal divisions about the plan because of its reliance on security guarantees from Damascus and its potential to encourage the forced return of some refugees.

Some 6 million Syrians fled the country after the civil war broke out 12 years ago, and an equal number were displaced as the Damascus regime, backed by Iran and Russia, brutally crushed the rebellion and took control of much of the country. gotta get.

The moves to rejoin the regime have raised concerns among human rights advocates that the refugee plan, first introduced by Jordan nearly two years ago but delayed by pressure from Washington and other Western capitals, could jeopardize the safety of returnees. may become a reality despite concerns about ,

“Any premature organized withdrawal before the proper conditions are in place risks setting a dangerous precedent,” said Emma Beals, Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Institute. Them.

Previous attempts to return displaced Syrians to regime-controlled areas have led to allegations of abuse. Although active conflict has subsided in Syria, rights groups have documented continued arrests, enforced disappearances, conscription and harassment of returnees. Some of the returnees have also been barred from going to their home areas or forced into government-run temporary shelters controlled by security forces.

Aid workers say even UN agencies have been prevented from continuously monitoring those returnees. Aid workers and some diplomats are skeptical that the Assad regime is ready to change its behavior.

“The regime has not changed its fundamental behavior and has continued to use violence and an elaborate security apparatus to target those it sees as a threat, including returnees,” Beals said. “

Arab diplomats said the refugee plan was a way to test whether Assad was serious and could be trusted to make reforms. He also stressed that those supporting the move had not discussed economic aid with Damascus and wanted to see progress on the refugee issue first.

“The Syrian government will respond to what was agreed (and) then we will assess. There is a view that the government in Syria is not sincere, not serious, but the only way to test its seriousness is through this meaningful process,” said one diplomat. “Otherwise how would you test it?”

A small number of refugees have returned as many fear for their safety, as well as being wary of what they will return to with the widespread destruction and collapse of the economy.

While the majority, about 4 million, are in Turkey, hundreds of thousands are in Jordan and Lebanon, where they are seen as a burden on vulnerable economies. Lebanon has expelled “hundreds” of Syrian refugees in recent weeks, according to the 20 rights group.

As well as concerns about refugees, regional powers are concerned about cross-border smuggling of captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine that has become an important source of foreign exchange for Damascus. They are hoping that engaging Assad will make the regime more willing to act to curb the trade.

Arab diplomats said they were discussing their plans with Western powers but would not lobby to ease sanctions until they saw progress. “It is an Arab-led effort in coordination with the United Nations and international stakeholders; It has to be assessed at a point in time, then we take it from there,” said a diplomat.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was in Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend an Arab League summit, as regional leaders reunited more than a decade after isolating Damascus following the regime’s violent crackdown on a popular uprising. Steps were taken to normalize relations, leading to a civil war.

In a sign of changing regional priorities, Arab states have stepped up their re-engagement with Assad in the hope that they can persuade him to act on issues that concern the plight of millions of refugees and a multibillion-dollar budget. Have gone beyond the borders including the plight. Trade in illegal drugs.

As part of a diplomatic push led by Saudi Arabia, Arab states plan to implement a plan to encourage refugees to go home and persuade Western powers to ease sanctions on the pariah state.

The plan was adopted at a meeting of Syrian, Saudi, Egyptian, Jordanian and Iraqi foreign ministers last month, shortly before the Arab states agreed to admit Syria into the Arab League after 12 years of suspending the state.

Diplomats hope that, if successful, the refugee plan will encourage more Syrians to go home and persuade Arab states to ease sanctions to help the US and Europe rebuild the war-torn nation. Will enable

The plan was being discussed at the “highest level” at the United Nations, according to two people familiar with the matter. But he also said there were internal divisions about the plan because of its reliance on security guarantees from Damascus and its potential to encourage the forced return of some refugees.

Some 6 million Syrians fled the country after the civil war broke out 12 years ago, and an equal number were displaced as the Damascus regime, backed by Iran and Russia, brutally crushed the rebellion and took control of much of the country. gotta get.

The moves to rejoin the regime have raised concerns among human rights advocates that the refugee plan, first introduced by Jordan nearly two years ago but delayed by pressure from Washington and other Western capitals, could jeopardize the safety of returnees. may become a reality despite concerns about ,

“Any premature organized withdrawal before the proper conditions are in place risks setting a dangerous precedent,” said Emma Beals, Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Institute. Them.

Previous attempts to return displaced Syrians to regime-controlled areas have led to allegations of abuse. Although active conflict has subsided in Syria, rights groups have documented continued arrests, enforced disappearances, conscription and harassment of returnees. Some of the returnees have also been barred from going to their home areas or forced into government-run temporary shelters controlled by security forces.

Aid workers say even UN agencies have been prevented from continuously monitoring those returnees. Aid workers and some diplomats are skeptical that the Assad regime is ready to change its behavior.

“The regime has not changed its fundamental behavior and has continued to use violence and an elaborate security apparatus to target those it sees as a threat, including returnees,” Beals said. “

Arab diplomats said the refugee plan was a way to test whether Assad was serious and could be trusted to make reforms. He also stressed that those supporting the move had not discussed economic aid with Damascus and wanted to see progress on the refugee issue first.

“The Syrian government will respond to what was agreed (and) then we will assess. There is a view that the government in Syria is not sincere, not serious, but the only way to test its seriousness is through this meaningful process,” said one diplomat. “Otherwise how would you test it?”

A small number of refugees have returned as many fear for their safety, as well as being wary of what they will return to with the widespread destruction and collapse of the economy.

While the majority, about 4 million, are in Turkey, hundreds of thousands are in Jordan and Lebanon, where they are seen as a burden on vulnerable economies. Lebanon has expelled “hundreds” of Syrian refugees in recent weeks, according to the 20 rights group.

As well as concerns about refugees, regional powers are concerned about cross-border smuggling of captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine that has become an important source of foreign exchange for Damascus. They are hoping that engaging Assad will make the regime more willing to act to curb the trade.

Arab diplomats said they were discussing their plans with Western powers but would not lobby to ease sanctions until they saw progress. “It is an Arab-led effort in coordination with the United Nations and international stakeholders; It has to be assessed at a point in time, then we take it from there,” said a diplomat.