ISW Institute: Assad's survival will remain the most difficult obstacle to resolving the Syrian crisis and bringing peace

ARK News: A report released by the Institute Studies of War (ISW), on Tuesday, revealed that the survival of the head of the regime, Bashar Al-Assad, in the power will remain the main obstacle to achieving peace in Syria. It pointed out that Assad and the cell close to him "spoil any international endeavor to deal with the Syrian situation through diplomatic means," which could involve the future of key players in the Syrian conflict arena.

The report indicated that "the actions of Assad and his cell" show that he will only accept the complete defeat of his opponents, as he tends to eliminate those who have challenged him before, similar to what he did in the provinces of Aleppo and Daraa. The report, linked to the US Department of Defense, urged Washington to revive the strategy of removing Assad from power, because "he and his dismantled regime will not be able to win the war in the long run if aid is cut off and Western countries prevent announcing his victory."

The report indicated that the current US President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, are betting on the idea that Russia force Assad to accept the diplomatic process and get out of the power, however, it seemed clear that the Kremlin did not do this, rather, it succeeded in thwarting any Western effort to replace Assad and reach a "political settlement" that does not legitimize his regime.

The Institute saw in its report that American policymakers are biased towards viewing the cessation of hostilities first, as the most important sign of diplomatic progress in Syria, but that will not be achieved as long as Assad remains in the power, and consequently, Washington must keep the space open for political and military competition inside Syria, restrict Assad's access to sources of funds, and prevent him from misappropriating humanitarian aid.

The Institute concluded its report by saying: Anyone who thinks that what the Syrian military machine, backed by Moscow and Tehran, has achieved, will provide the Damascus regime with reassurance and stability, indeed, the options will remain open to many surprises.

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