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Syria Between Dialogue, Disaster

As the Syrian conflict intensifies, Nassif Hitti argues that the only way out of the crisis is through a mutual understanding between the regime and opposition based on the Geneva Declaration.
Destroyed buildings are seen on a deserted street in Homs January 30, 2013. At least 60,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war. Mostly Sunni Homs, a commercial and agricultural hub 140 km (90 miles) north of Damascus, has been at the heart of the 22-month uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Picture taken January 30, 2013. REUTERS/Yazan Homsy  (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3D6NT

Almost two years after the eruption of the Syrian crisis, which rapidly transformed into a bloody conflict, Syria today bears an increasing resemblance to a plane without a pilot in full flight command. Thus the whole issue becomes one of maneuvering the plane into making a safe landing once it reaches its still unknown destination. This means reaching an inclusive and widely accepted agreement at home, for the sake of the reaching the day after, regardless of the nature of that day.

This will be an agitated period, which most probably will extend in time, leading to a different, more complex kind of crisis: a situation that does not preclude more violence. In other words, if the plane crashes, it could have a dramatic effect on the passengers (i.e., Syrian citizens) and the crash site (i.e., the Arab East) alike.

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