Connecting Syria's allies and enemies, page 1

Wrabbit2000
I did a quick search and hadn't seen this posted anywhere. It seems Al Jazeera took a moment to make a helpful graphic for who is who in the game of Syrian futures.

Connecting Syria's allies and enemies

We can add a new player to that, given their sheer size and ability to influence through people power....

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow would welcome
Indonesia joining Syria peace talks scheduled to take place in Geneva later
this year.

"We believe it is possible to expand the number of (conference) participants by including such big Muslim states like Indonesia," Putin said
Source

I think that last bit makes the first bit a standoff in every way now. Adding Indonesia should pretty well jam up the works for productive talks into the next decade or so. Why not add the Philippines and perhaps a Caribbean island nation or two for the mess it'll help make with nations not directly a part of the conflict?

Still? I think the info graphic the top link goes to is a fair representation. It's a wonder how we came to face those two across a line of conflict again, but here we are, eh?

First what everyone in the west needs to realize is that Muslim mindsets are much different than western ones.

For these many years Syria has been governed by the minority which has kept freedom of religion in check as well as been a protection for minority groups in that country, Christians included.

As we have seen in Egypt bringing to vote a new leader in these countries is a rocky road, with loyalties so split as to have the same fear in Syria as we saw in Egypt, bringing to power an extremist and bringing a country that was on a forward path toward a decidedly backward path instead, reversing any good that had been done there.

These fears were foreseen by Assad, as well as a fear that western corporations and the countries that back them would go in and back the extremists groups if they decided that would profit them somehow in the end, and to hell with the Syrian people and their best interests...

That is why Assad opened the door to all the Muslim countries (many years ago) to come in and have talks and try to figure out how best to go about changing the regime in the country to one that was best for the people, for all of the people not just some, and how to do it according to the wishes of the people without destabilizing that country.

It just so happens that destabilization was what most wanted, and to hell with the people of Syria.

But, as to your fears, if the talks are to go in the direction that the leadership of Syria had wanted in the beginning, then Indonesia can indeed have something to add, whether it be lessens from their mistakes or simply solid advice, the problem here is how to transition a Muslim country to a more democratic one....without destabilizing it.