Opinion by David Ignatius: An age of deconfliction may be dawning on the Middle East
Let’s talk about ending ugly wars. No, not the one in Ukraine, at least not yet. But those in the Middle East. Here’s a brief inventory, and it shows why American diplomacy remains essential in this vexed part of the world.The Yemen civil war, one of the cruelest this century, appears to be inching toward a stable settlement — thanks to tireless mediation by U.S. envoy Tim Lenderking and concessions from Saudi Arabia, a country that Americans love to hate.
. It’s about time. In late 2021, the United Nations estimated that this war, started by the Saudi leader with U.S. support, had killed or starved 377,000 people.The Syria civil war is, if anything, even more tragic. Since 2011, the conflict has killed more than 500,000, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and driven about 6 million people from the country. But this miserable conflict lacks a U.S. mediator or road map for resolution.
, probably from Turkey, nearly assassinated Gen. Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, this month in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.To protect our Kurdish allies in a future Syria, the United States should be working with its regional partners in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and, yes, Saudi Arabia. I hope that secret diplomacy has already begun.
America’s Syria agenda includes more than our Kurdish allies. Neighboring Arab states need help reducing Iran’s military power there; Turkey needs reassurance about the security of its southern border; refugees need a way home; Assad, the presumptive victor, doesn’t deserve help with reconstruction, but Syria does. And our agenda won’t be complete without the release of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist and Post contributor who was kidnapped there in 2012.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia's Gazprom sets up Middle East unitRussian natural gas giant Gazprom is setting up a Middle East unit, the company said in a regulatory disclosure on Tuesday.
Read more »
Band director instrumental in reviving program at Northside middle schoolMost students in the Highlands Middle School band had never picked up an instrument until six months ago. Many hours of practicing later, the band members sound like they’ve been practicing for years, and they’re playing in national festivals.
Read more »
Middle Age Looks Nothing Like It Used ToYou get to keep your long hair now, and other differences from the era of Golden Girls.
Read more »
Road caves in, creating large hole in middle of busy West Side streetA portion of a busy street on the city’s West Side caved in late Monday morning, creating a large hole that caused a two-vehicle crash.
Read more »
Three middle school students facing arrest after posting ‘fake’ school threat on social mediaSomeone posted an image to Instagram threatening to bring a weapon to Scobee Middle School. The threat was deemed to be fake.
Read more »