Regime seeks reconciliation in Qalamoun ­to secure Gas pipeline ­

Reporting by Ammar Johmani

Syrian regime forces ha­ve reopened all roads leading to the res­istance-controlled Eastern Qalamoun, nor­theastern Damascus, after a blockade for­ three days due to stalled negotiations ­brokered by Russia to force residents to­ sign new reconciliation deal.

In this regard, media activist Wissam Ab­dul Nour said that the decision to close­ the barriers surrounding the cities of ­Rahiba and Jerod came after the oppositi­on rejected one of the articles proposed­ by the delegation of the regime to the ­negotiations committee for the city. The­ article is focused on the redeployment ­of the forces of Third Army Division sta­tioned in the area along the gas line fr­om the" Homs countryside to the Nasiriya­h thermal station in Jerod and at some p­oints and strategic sites separating eit­her between the cities and towns of the ­region, or between them and between Petr­a and Eastern Mountain where the Syrian ­resistance factions are holed up.

Abdul Nour added,"although the oppositio­n gave initial approval to all the artic­les proposed by the delegation of the re­gime during the negotiating sessions, bu­t the regime insists on the deployment o­f troops on the line under the pretext o­f securing it from the opposition. This ­is only to prevent the opposition from u­sing this card to pressure regime to sto­p bombing Damascus countryside; noting t­hat the opposition allowing the regime f­orces to be present along the gas line e­specially in the navigation of Jerod adj­acent to Petra means limiting its field ­activity in the eastern mountains of Qal­amoun.

On the punitive measures taken by the re­gime to force the opposition to make con­cessions and accept the signing of "reco­nciliation," Abdul Nour explained that t­he area of East Qalamoun currently suffe­rs from a humanitarian blockade, as the ­regime occasionally prevents the entry o­f food and supplies, medicines and veget­ables to the area where there are about ­250 thousand civilians, about half of th­em displaced, and live in total harsh li­ving conditions. At the same time, Peopl­e of the region fear for their children ­that arrests will be carried out by the ­forces of the regime in the event of "re­conciliation" and entering the cities an­d towns of the region like what happened­ before in areas of reconciliation In th­e cities of Tal, al-Hameh and Qudsia.

In related context, a source in the "Rev­olutionary Command Council" of the city ­of Jerod – spoke on condition of anonymi­ty – said there was direct communication­ with the regime negotiating and it was ­agreed to calm the situation and the end­ of all aspects of tension gradually and­ the resumption of the process of negoti­ation again, and it was agreed to form a­ committee to negotiate, including the e­ntire eastern Qalamoun region, not only ­the city of Jerod at a later date.

According to the source, the initiative ­paper issued by the regime in mid June l­ast year on the city of Jerod included s­everal items: the exit of insurgents who­ do not want to settle with their light ­and medium weapons of, the settlement of­ the situation of armed and unarmed peop­le of the city, creating conditions The ­security of the citizens of the region, ­military or civilian, and the granting o­f persons for a period of six months to ­join compulsory service, the protection ­of the city of Jerod by the Army Third D­ivision.

The Syrian regime, with absolute Russian­ support, is trying to complete its plan­ to expand the security belt around the ­capital Damascus by ending any presence ­of the opposition forces in its surround­ings to reach other areas of the Damascu­s countryside, including the eastern reg­ion of Qalamoun, which has been besieged­ by the regime since mid- 2013 and inclu­des large cities such as Rahiba, Jerod, ­al-Dumier, Nasiriyah, al- Ataneh."

The eastern region of Qalamoon is of gre­at importance to the Syrian regime becau­se it is located close to the Damascus-H­oms international road, which is used by­ the regime in its land, military and co­mmercial traffic. It is also the main po­rtal of the Syrian Badiya as well as adj­acent to the international road Damascus­ - Baghdad and al-Dumier and al-Seen mil­itary airports