Arab nationalists

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Dec. 17 to extend cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrians in rebel-held areas without Syrian government approval.
     

A visit to Iran by Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Dec. 17 highlighted their opposing views on the Syrian conflict, with both countries saying dialogue was needed to close gaps.
    
"We consider the Assad regime as not having legitimacy," he said at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
      

Turkey has been hosting three key Americans over the last three days. One is Vice President Joe Biden. The second is John Allen, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) strategy. The third is General James Jones, the U.S.’s former National Security Adviser and currently the chairman of the American-Turkish Council.

Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander Jamal Marouf, who has confirmed his presence in Turkey, has said the danger of losing the northwestern Syrian province of Aleppo has eased slightly, but warned that risks remain in the city that is deemed crucial by Turkey.

Senior U.S. officials have denied that the Obama administration is reviewing its Syria policy to include the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the program, reiterating that Iraq remains the current focus.

There are currently some important developments happening in the Middle East. The U.S. is in contact with Iran over their common enemy, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Russia and Iran have concluded new deals in the nuclear energy sector, which will consolidate their political and military ties.

The leader of the moderate Syrian opposition accused the US-led coalition in an interview Nov. 11 of having a "confused" strategy in Iraq and Syria that targeted jihadists but turned "a blind eye" to crimes by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
      

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Nov. 10 he was ready to study a UN plan to "freeze" fighting in the northern city of Aleppo, a statement from his office said.
      
"President Assad has been informed by (UN envoy Staffan) de Mistura of the main points of his initiative," said the statement issued after the two men held talks in Damascus.
      

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has accused Syrian forces of committing massacres in and around Aleppo and said Turkey would face a major new refugee crisis if Syria's second city were to fall into his hands.

The leftists’ traditional opposition to Western powers has always been as a matter of principle in the name of “anti-imperialism”; now the neo-Islamists express opposition whenever the Western powers fail or refuse to support and help them when necessary.