How President Trump could help end the Syrian civil war

It has been hard to remain optimistic about peace as Syrian civilians have died, been displaced or had their homes destroyed in this man-made, unnatural disaster. What began as peaceful protests for democracy were crushed by a dictator.
The actions and inactions of powerful international actors has made Syria an arena for their proxy wars and enabled Islamist terrorist groups to flourish. Readers could be forgiven for thinking that there is no hope, especially given the catastrophe in Aleppo.

Yet a credible path to a meaningful, enduring peace exists and is perhaps more viable now, in light of Donald Trump's election.

The Syria's Tomorrow Movement, which I helped found earlier this year, advocates a different strategy to that of the official opposition, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC). We are led by former SNC President Ahmed Jarba and share the SNC's objectives of a transition away from dictatorship towards a pluralistic, democratic Syria. But we differ in that we believe these long-term ideals can only be achieved through hard-headed realism that accepts the prevailing geostrategic situation and the facts on the ground.

The status quo is the result of a litany of failure on all sides. The opposition failed to form coherent political and military institutions and to separate itself from the Al Nusra Front.

Bashar al-Assad failed to pursue politics, choosing instead the response of dictators down the ages: a brutal war against his own people.

Regional countries failed to establish a coordinated strategy to help the opposition, instead competing with one another, leading to the fracturing of opposition groups.