A Joint United States - Russia Plan on Syria

The United States(US) and Russia have agreed to coordinate their efforts to combat radical jihadists in Syria, toward reducing the violence there, after five-years of war. 

The agreement ironed out by US Secretary of State John Kerry and by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following talks in Geneva, Switzerland, would usher in a cessation of hostilities at sunset on Monday, followed by a coordinate US-Russian alliance for air strikes on radical jihadists, including the Islamic State(IS), starting seven days from Monday.

According to the agreement, forces of Bashar al Assad's regime would halt military missions in specified rebel areas also starting on Monday. The armed political Syrian Opposition said it welcomed the deal "if it is going to be enforced." A spokeswoman for the High Negotiations Committee, Bassma Kodmani, responded: "We hope this will be the beginning of the end of the civilians' ordeal," the BBC-News reported.

However, if all things remain equal as desired under the US-Russian plan, will Russia be successful in getting Bashar al Assad to relinquish his poisoned leadership in Damascus? No sustainable peace could come to Syria as long as Assad remains in power. Yet, the US-Russian plan is a positive start to a long awaited peace to the people of Syria.