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| Truce in Part of Syria, Announced by Trump, Survives First Day | Truce in Part of Syria, Announced by Trump, Survives First Day |
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| BEIRUT, Lebanon — Representatives of Syria’s warring parties gathered in Geneva on Monday for the seventh round of peace talks, as a regional truce, negotiated by their big-power backers, appeared to be holding for a full day in southwest Syria, according to local residents and human rights monitors. | BEIRUT, Lebanon — Representatives of Syria’s warring parties gathered in Geneva on Monday for the seventh round of peace talks, as a regional truce, negotiated by their big-power backers, appeared to be holding for a full day in southwest Syria, according to local residents and human rights monitors. |
| The cease-fire, negotiated by the United States, Russia and Jordan, applies to a strategic swath across southwest Syria, near its border with Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. | The cease-fire, negotiated by the United States, Russia and Jordan, applies to a strategic swath across southwest Syria, near its border with Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, reported that despite small breaches, including bursts of gunfire at the front lines, the truce had largely held since it went into effect at noon Sunday. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, reported that despite small breaches, including bursts of gunfire at the front lines, the truce had largely held since it went into effect at noon Sunday. |
| Similar truces have been brokered before between the United States and Russia, which back opposing sides on the battlefield, but they have all eventually collapsed. | Similar truces have been brokered before between the United States and Russia, which back opposing sides on the battlefield, but they have all eventually collapsed. |
| But this truce was the first to be announced by the Trump administration. President Trump seized on it as a measure of diplomatic victory during his first meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin, at the Group of 20 summit meeting Friday in Hamburg. | But this truce was the first to be announced by the Trump administration. President Trump seized on it as a measure of diplomatic victory during his first meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin, at the Group of 20 summit meeting Friday in Hamburg. |
| Russia brokered a truce with Turkey, an important rebel sponsor, in northern Syria last December. That, say local residents, has tamped down violence there, notably the Syrian government’s aerial bombing campaign. | Russia brokered a truce with Turkey, an important rebel sponsor, in northern Syria last December. That, say local residents, has tamped down violence there, notably the Syrian government’s aerial bombing campaign. |
| The Syrian battlefield is populated by a mix of rebel groups, supported by Jordan, Turkey, the Gulf countries as well as the United States. Backing the government of President Bashar al Assad of Syria are soldiers and advisers from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia organization in Lebanon. | The Syrian battlefield is populated by a mix of rebel groups, supported by Jordan, Turkey, the Gulf countries as well as the United States. Backing the government of President Bashar al Assad of Syria are soldiers and advisers from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia organization in Lebanon. |
| Syrian and Russian forces have justified their military attacks on many rebel groups as targeting terrorists, though Al Qaeda affiliates in Syria and the Islamic State have been not been part of the truces. On Monday, Syrian forces said they had attacked Islamic State fighters in one area covered by the truce, an assertion disputed by the Free Syrian Army, a Western-backed insurgent group that said the area contained no Islamic State fighters. | Syrian and Russian forces have justified their military attacks on many rebel groups as targeting terrorists, though Al Qaeda affiliates in Syria and the Islamic State have been not been part of the truces. On Monday, Syrian forces said they had attacked Islamic State fighters in one area covered by the truce, an assertion disputed by the Free Syrian Army, a Western-backed insurgent group that said the area contained no Islamic State fighters. |
| The latest truce covers three important areas in Syria’s southwest: Dara, Quneitra and Sweida. The Syrian government had announced a unilateral truce in those areas last week, with the latest international agreement extending it. | The latest truce covers three important areas in Syria’s southwest: Dara, Quneitra and Sweida. The Syrian government had announced a unilateral truce in those areas last week, with the latest international agreement extending it. |
| Dara is where the rebellion against the Assad government began in 2011 and much of its countryside is held by rebel factions, armed and aided by the United States, Jordan and others. An extended halt in violence there would help Jordan make the case for the return of Syrian refugees from its territory. | Dara is where the rebellion against the Assad government began in 2011 and much of its countryside is held by rebel factions, armed and aided by the United States, Jordan and others. An extended halt in violence there would help Jordan make the case for the return of Syrian refugees from its territory. |
| The United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, welcomed the truce but said it should not be used to push refugees back into Syria until they are ready. | The United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, welcomed the truce but said it should not be used to push refugees back into Syria until they are ready. |
| “Notwithstanding this positive development, the secretary-general urges all countries to preserve the right for all Syrians to seek asylum and enjoy refugee protection until conditions are conducive for return in safety and dignity,” his office said in a statement Monday. | “Notwithstanding this positive development, the secretary-general urges all countries to preserve the right for all Syrians to seek asylum and enjoy refugee protection until conditions are conducive for return in safety and dignity,” his office said in a statement Monday. |
| Sweida is dominated by the Druze minority, which is largely loyal to the Assad government; Al Qaeda affiliates are scattered in the area along with Free Syrian Army factions. | Sweida is dominated by the Druze minority, which is largely loyal to the Assad government; Al Qaeda affiliates are scattered in the area along with Free Syrian Army factions. |
| Quneitra is important to Israel, as it presses against the Israeli-held portion of the Golan Heights, a strategic area Israel captured from Syria in their war in 1967. Syrian forces in Quneitra are backed by Hezbollah fighters, and on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, while welcoming the cease-fire, warned against “Iran and its proxies” establishing themselves in the area. | |
| Iran, which was not part of the deal, called Monday for the cease-fire to be expanded nationwide. | Iran, which was not part of the deal, called Monday for the cease-fire to be expanded nationwide. |
| What impact — if any — the southwestern truce deal will have on the United Nations-brokered talks in Geneva is unclear. Representatives of the rebel factions have yet to negotiate face to face with their adversaries from the government. | What impact — if any — the southwestern truce deal will have on the United Nations-brokered talks in Geneva is unclear. Representatives of the rebel factions have yet to negotiate face to face with their adversaries from the government. |
| They have convened in different rooms in what the United Nations special envoy in charge, Staffan de Mistura, has called “proximity” talks. | They have convened in different rooms in what the United Nations special envoy in charge, Staffan de Mistura, has called “proximity” talks. |
| Asked about the southwestern Syrian truce, Mr. de Mistura suggested to reporters in Geneva on Monday that he was optimistic about it. | Asked about the southwestern Syrian truce, Mr. de Mistura suggested to reporters in Geneva on Monday that he was optimistic about it. |
| “In all agreements there is a period of adjustment. We are watching very carefully,” Mr. de Mistura said at a news conference. “But we can say we believe it has fairly good chances of working out.” | “In all agreements there is a period of adjustment. We are watching very carefully,” Mr. de Mistura said at a news conference. “But we can say we believe it has fairly good chances of working out.” |