Will Saudi Arabia-Russia talks impact Syrian opposition?
Moscow has allegedly opened up channels of communication between the Syrian regime and Saudi Arabia, and many are speculating whether this will cripple the Syrian opposition forces’ capabilities.
BEIRUT — When traveling from Beirut to Damascus these days, two things are noticeable: a decrease in the number of military checkpoints from the Lebanon-Syria border all the way to the Syrian capital, and the many posters glued to electricity poles along the roads that call on the Syrian youths to join the army, claiming, “You are the only ones that can bring us together.” There might not be a logical correlation between these two observations, but they seem like a fitting prelude to Al-Monitor’s interview with a Syrian government official on the situation in his country and the latest developments of the conflict there.
The Syrian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al-Monitor that the decrease in the number of military checkpoints is due to the Syrian authorities’ relative confidence with the military and security situation in Damascus and its surroundings, stretching all the way to the Lebanese border. Before the official elaborated on this, he provided a quick reading of the reasons behind the Syrian government's stance.
