United States of America (Veto nation) GNI per capita 55,200 USD Population 323 mil. Form of government Federal presidential constitutional republic Head of Government President Barack Obama Allies on this issue UK, France, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar, Jordan,

UAE, Oman, Italy

USA is the world’s most important player in international politics. They are marked by their

willingness to intervene militarily in armed conflicts as well as for carrying out secret operations to

gather intelligence and tip political climates in their own favor. USA is a very outspoken enemy of

Assad and ISIS, and they have started bombing ISIS positions and supplying weapons to rebels. A

violent political climate in the Middle East is bad for the USA for many reasons, amongst those

reason are:

1. the risk of war global warfare increases,

2. the possibilities for profitable trade decrease,

3. the burden of refugees grow,

4. the threat against Israel rises, who are US’ closest ally in the Middle East, and

5. several of the militias in Syria, including ISIS, might turn to terrorism against the US if they

get their hands free after the fighting.

For these reasons and others, the USA needs to stabilize Syria. The USA would prefer to resolve the

conflict between the Syrian government and the rebels peacefully through peace talks but they do

not trust Assad and want him deposed. They do not have patience for ISIS and consider them an

immediate threat to be stopped by any means necessary. On this issue, the US is allied with Turkey

but they also have sympathy for some the Kurdish group YPG who are fighting against ISIS to get a

country of their own, although the allied Turkey has recently started fighting the YPG. USA is very

critical of Iran, China and Russia providing arms to the Syrian government and the Syrian conflict

might even be seen as a proxy war between USA and Russia. USA's plan A should be to get rid of

Russian and Iranian influence in Syria, but they might have to resort to plan B, which is working with

them to destroy ISIS and ANF and then establishing a peaceful Syria. Either way, USA might want to

support allies in the Middle East that are willing to attack ISIS or even Assad on the ground. Such

countries are Jordan, Saudi Arabia (and possibly the other Gulf States) and Turkey. With these allies,

Syria and its internal terrorists could be attacked from all sides.

Russian Federation (Veto nation)

GNI per capita 13,210 USD Population 147 mil. Form of government Federal semi-presidential constitutional republic Head of Government President Vladimir Putin Allies on this issue Syrian government, Iran, China, Lebanon

Russia is one of the most important players on the international political scene. Under Vladimir Putin

they regained their leading voice in international politics, which they had lost after the end of the

Cold War, and they have even engaged in expansionist politics, annexing the Crimean Peninsula

belonging to Ukraine. Russia is not tolerant of military groups upsetting peace in their own country,

and they much prefer to retain a strong government against the chaos of rebellion. In this conflict,

they support the efforts of the Syrian government to win back control over Syria and get rid of all the

foreign militias who are interfering with the Syrian situation. In a speech to the United Nations, Putin

has recently applauded the efforts of the Syrian government and the Kurdish militias as the only

ones actively fighting ISIS on the ground.

Russia is very critical of US’ policy of supporting anti-government rebels in Syria, and they have

pointed out several times that the rise of ISIS was due to the US intervention in Iraq against Saddam

Hussein. They have also made enemies with Turkey who have shot down Russian airplanes passing

over their air space without permission. Russia has accused Turkey of buying oil from ISIS and

thereby supporting ISIS financially. Russia is currently bombing different parts of Syria, they have

claimed to target ISIS and other foreign terrorists but they have been accused of targeting anti-

government groups more specifically. Russia is leasing an important naval base from Syria, and there

is a prospect of the US-coalition leading an oil pipeline through Syria which would make Europe

almost independent of Russian oil, so Russia will not accept a US-friendly leadership of the future

Syria.

People’s Republic of China (Veto nation)

GNI per capita 7,380 USD Population 1.4 bil. Form of government Socialist one-party state Head of Government President Xi Jinping Allies on this issue Russia, Syrian government, Iran

China, as the largest country of the world and second largest economy, has the power to change the

international political climate if they put their mind to it, but they prefer to avoid intervention as

much as possible. They are in favor of Assad staying in power and they have provided the Syrian

government with weapons, but they do not have as strong an interest in Syria staying in power as

Russia do. China does not want to look weak on the international political scene, and it would be

beneficial for them to prove their power and authority without risking too much. They agree with all

other nations that ISIS needs to be eliminated, and ever since a Chinese citizen was executed by ISIS

in 2015, they have had their heart sets on having ISIS destroyed. Solving the conflict peacefully will

also alleviate the refugee crisis, so that China could avoid being pressured by the other UN nations to

take in too many of the Syrian refugees.

United Kingdom (Veto nation)

GNI per capita 42,690 USD Population 65 mil. Form of government Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy Head of Government Prime Minister David Cameron Allies on this issue USA, France, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar, Jordan,

UAE, Oman, Italy

United Kingdom, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, is one of the most

important players in international politics. They support USA’s position with the rebels against

Assad, and they have recently started bombing ISIS strongholds in Syria. They would prefer peaceful

negotiations between the regime and the rebels while they have no patience for ISIS. The UK, like its

allies, is not ready to put soldiers on the ground in Syria, but they will support the fight against ISIS

with airplanes and weapons to the most moderate parties fighting ISIS.

The Kurdish situation is also difficult. In Syria the Kurdish group, YPG, is fighting ISIS with support

from UKs ally, USA, but on the other side of the border between Syria and Turkey, the Kurdish

military group, PKK, is fighting for independence from Turkey and therefore Turkey and their allies

on this issue have denounced PKK as a terrorist organization. This results in a paradoxical policy of

supporting YPG but opposing their ally, PKK.

French Republic (Veto nation)

GNI per capita 43,080 USD Population 65 mil. Form of government Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic Head of Government President Franҫois Hollande Allies on this issue USA, UK, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar, Jordan,

UAE, Oman, Italy

The French Republic is one of the most important players on the international political scene

retaining a strong alliance with USA and UK. France considers itself to be in a state of war with ISIS

because of the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris and is claiming its right to self-defense preparing for

bombing ISIS strongholds. Like most UN nations, they would prefer successful peace negotiations

between the Syrian government and the rebels but like many others they agree that Assad

personally cannot be given back the power. France has so far been willing to discuss solutions with

all the international powers, even Russia. They disagree with Russia’s policy to support the Assad

government, but they care more about solving the issue than they care about whether they solve it

with UK and USA or with Russia and China. The French Republic is in favor of supporting a united

army of Syrian and other arab soldiers in fighting ISIS, which means that before ISIS can be

eliminated, France needs the rebel and the government in Syria to make peace.

Arab Republic of Egypt

GNI per capita 3,280 USD Population 90 mil. Form of government Unitary semi-presidential republic Head of Government President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi Allies on this issue Leaning mostly toward the position of Russia

Egypt is one of the most politically influential countries in the Middle East due to its size, population

and political activity. Egypt is a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, which is why the public does

not generally support the Shiite Assad government who are ruling over Syria, which is also mostly

inhabited by Shiites, but the opinion of the general Egyptian public is not reflected by its politicians.

In this conflict, Egypt is acting as a peace broker mediating for peaceful negotiations between

government and rebels. With regard to alliances, Egypt is rather neutral although leaning mostly

toward the Russian alliance; Egypt supports reestablishing the government in Syria rather than

overthrowing it, but it is also willing to accept the USA-UK-France wish to depose Assad in order to

please the rebels. The greatest enemy of Egypt is ISIS, and they have vowed to help fight them in

Iraq and Syria. Egypt has significantly not opposed Russian intervention in Syria, where Russia is

currently bombing ISIS as well as other groups that they consider extremist – some of whom are

supported by the US coalition.

Republic of Turkey

GNI per capita 10,850 USD Population 79 mil. Form of government Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic Head of Government President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar, Jordan,

UAE, Oman, Italy

Turkey is a key player in this conflict because of their shared border with Syria to the south. Syrian

refugees travelling to Europe often travel through Turkey and since the European nations are

hesitant to accept the refugees, many of them are stuck in Turkey. Turkey was also one of the first to

turn against the Syrian government ever since the rebellion started. Economically, Turkey would

have enough on its place without civil war, terrorists and refugees, so they need a stabile long term

solution to the Syrian conflict. For that purpose, Turkey is supporting the US-led coalition against ISIS

letting the coalition use a Turkish airbase. Domestically, Turkey is fighting the Kurdish group PKK who

want independence from Turkey. For that reason, Turkey sees the Kurdish resistance as one the

main threats to national security and they are very critical of the fact that the US-led coalition has

been supporting PKK’s sister organization, YPG, in Syria. Recently it has gotten so bad, that just when

YPG had forced out ISIS from the northern part of the Aleppo region, Turkish military started

bombing YPG. Furthermore, the international community has criticized Turkey for letting rebels and

arms pass through its area because jihadists joining ISIS have been able to use this route, and they

have been accused of buying oil from ISIS, thereby indirectly funding terrorists. Turkey could suggest

that they themselves, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well as the Gulf States provided ground troops for

an assault to get rid of ISIS, ANF and even Assad.

The Turkish delegation should attempt to secure that the rebels come out on top against the Syrian

government. They should ensure military efforts focused on PKK and YPG as well as ISIS and AL

Nusra. They should do their best to support a democratic state in Syria rather than the Assad regime

where a minority Alawite Shia Muslims suppressed the Sunni Muslim majority.

Islamic Republic of Iran

GNI per capita 6,820 USD Population 79 mil. Form of government Islamic Republic Head of Government Supreme leader Ali Khameini / President Hassan Rouhani Allies on this issue Russia, China, Syrian government

Iran is one of the main political powers in the Middle East and has long had a notorious status in

international politics because of their bad relations with USA. The US is suspecting them of

developing nuclear weapons even though several independent experts have not found good reason

to believe that the Iranian nuclear program is for anything other than nuclear power plants. On the

other hand, Iran is accusing the USA of being overly aggressive towards them since they have

ensured several international economic sanctions on Iran for being a dangerous dictatorial theocracy

rather than a democracy. In that way, the USA is also a leading cause in keeping the Iranian economy

weak despite its high level of education. The US has also placed 42 army bases in the region around

Iran – a fact which many political scientists view as a direct threat to Iranian society.

Iran is a predominantly Shia Muslim country with a very strict rule and a tradition of alliance with the

Alawite Shia government of Bashar Al Assad. They have allied with Russia and are thus part of the

political counterweight to the US and their allies. Iran has deployed its revolutionary guards in Syria

to protect Assad and they have sold Chinese chlorine gas to the Syrian government to use on rebels,

and in general they support using strong force against rebels. Iran has also sent military into Syria to

support the government with information about the movements of their enemies and they are

funding the Lebanese terrorist organization, Hezbollah, in their fight against Syrian rebels.

The Iranian delegation should support the Syrian state in winning back its position. Although Iran

and USA are enemies, the Iranian delegates should not be too afraid to cooperate with the USA in

getting rid of ISIS and Al Nusra. With regard to the protection of minorities in Syria, Iran wants to

ensure the protection of Shia Muslims but Sunnis, Christians and Kurds are not priorities.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

GNI per capita 26,340 USD Population 32 mil. Form of government Unitary Islamic Absolute Monarchy Head of Government King Salman bin Abdulaziz Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Iraq, Turkey, Germany, Qatar, Jordan, UAE,

Oman, Italy

Saudi Arabia is a major oil state that wants to normalize the general situation in the Middle East to

develop its trade relations peacefully. Due to its Sunni majority it has long been opposed to a Shia

rule in Syria and for that and other reasons it is supporting the rebel-friendly US-led coalition.

Internationally, Saudi Arabia is getting a huge load of criticism for refusing to take in any refugees

from Syria, since Saudi Arabia is in fact one of the countries in best position to help; it is close to

Syria, it has the same religion as Syrian citizens and it is a rich country. The country has long been

supporting anti-government rebels in Syria with weapons and money, and it was very angered that

the Obama administration in the USA chose not to go to war in Syria back in 2013 after the Syrian

government used chemical weapons on rebels. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries to whom it is

most important to depose Assad, and any new state building in Syria should, according to Saudi

Arabia, happen with Assad executed or in prison. Saudi Arabia could be in favor of not only

intervening militarily to crush ISIS and Al Nusra but also to fight government forces and pro-

government militias like Hezbollah in coalition with Turkey and Jordan. With regard to the Kurds,

Saudi Arabia has publicly expressed interest in an independent Kurdistan in Syria.

Federal Republic of Germany

GNI per capita 47,640 USD Population 81.5 mil. Form of government Federal parliamentary republic Head of Government Chancellor Angela Merkel Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, UAE,

Oman, Italy

Germany is the biggest player in European politics especially with regard to economic questions.

Despite its strong position in international politics, it has, however, no veto right in the Security

Council due to the fact that it was on the losing side of World War II. Germany is allied with the US-

coalition in the Syrian conflict, but it has not contributed to the ISIS bombings carried out by US, UK

and France. Germany has also admitted publicly that the US strategy to support the rebels against

the Assad government has worked in ISIS’ favor in their invasion of Syria, which is why any future

solution to the ISIS-problem has to incorporate Russia and perhaps even the Syrian regime. While

Saudi Arabia, the most important local ally of the US-coalition, believes that Assad has to be deposed

before any solution can be found, Germany disagrees and says that it will not be possible to achieve

peace without negotiating with Assad and letting him stay in power until democratic elections are

held after ISIS has been fought off. With regard to the Kurds, Germany provided the Iraqi Kurdish

forces Peshmerga with weapons in their fight against ISIS. Recently, some of the weapons provided

by Germany have, however, been found for sale on Iraqi markets, a fact which is quite scandalous to

German foreign policy. While NATO and the US have not opposed the Turkish bombing of the Syrian

Kurds (YPG), Germany is abhorred by Turkey turning against YPG, when it is one of the most

effective allies in the fight against ISIS.

German delegates should try to get all parties to the negotiation table, even (and especially) Assad,

in order to form a military coalition of local forces fighting ISIS and Al Nusra on the ground. This

means that Germany may have to get the other countries to accept that Assad leads as long as ISIS is

still in Syria. With regard to sectarian peace, Germany is perhaps the nation most passionate about

securing all local minorities (as well as the Sunni majority) against oppression by the future

government.

State of Qatar

GNI per capita 90,420 USD Population 2.4 mil. Form of government Unitary constitutional monarchy Head of Government Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar,

Jordan, UAE, Oman, Italy

Qatar is one of the world’s richest countries per capita. While it is itself very small with regard to

both landmass and population, it seeks to make powerful political alliances to support the stability of

its monarchic rule. Qatar houses an airbase used regularly by US and UK military. It is bound to the

other Gulf States by geography and the income from oil fields in the region, a fact which made it

dangerous for Qatar in 2014 when they supported rather extremist groups in Syria against the will of

Oman, Bahrain, UAE and their most important local ally, Saudi Arabia. These countries withdrew

their ambassadors from Qatar effectively severing diplomatic ties, but luckily for Qatar, this crisis has

since been solved due to well executed diplomacy from Qatar. Although Qatar is part of the US-led

coalition on this issue, they are internationally notorious for their willingness to support militias that

other countries perceive as terrorist groups, this also explains their readiness to support Syrian

rebels fighting Assad. Qatar has been estimated by experts to be the number one financial supporter

of anti-Assad rebels. In October, however, the Qatar foreign minister ruled out intervening militarily

in Syria as a reaction to Russian bombings targeted at Syrian rebel forces. Their hard line toward the

Syrian government and in favor of Sunni militants has strengthened their relation to Turkey, and

Qatar is supportive of the Turkish resistance against the Kurds unlike the other Gulf States.

The Qatari delegates should not be afraid to use military force to get their way, but they should not

be stupid either. While Qatar is not directly in danger of being attacked if they are too violent in the

approach to Syria, they are still in danger of hurting their diplomatic ties with local nations and being

economically sanctioned by the international community. The Qatari delegation should support the

Turks in their fight against the Kurds and they should argue to depose Assad if possible. With regard

to sectarian peace, Qatar’s priority is securing the rights of Sunni majority in Syria, the minority

groups are not one of Qatar’s particular concerns.

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

GNI per capita 5,160 USD

Population 9.5 mil. Form of government Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy Head of Government Prime minister Abdullah Ensour Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar,

UAE, Oman, Italy

Jordan is a former British colony with a powerful and large royal family and a democratically elected

government with high rates of corruption. Jordan is part of the US-led coalition against the Syrian

Shiite government due to their Sunni majority, but with regard to international politics in general,

Jordan has good ties with Russia as well. This means, that while it is certainly against Russia on this

issue, Jordan does not wish to take the disagreement so far as to risk its diplomatic relations with

Russia. Compared to its size and financial situation, Jordan is probably is one of the countries that

have done the most to alleviate the conflict by accepting refugees and bombing ISIS, but the US,

among others, are still asking more from them.

ISIS is a very personal enemy of Jordan and in a video from 2014, ISIS soldiers promised to slaughter

the Jordanian king and launch suicide attacks in Jordan. Jordan currently has a standing offer to send

in ground troops against ISIS in Iraq if they want to. Jordan has also been prepared to launch a

ground offensive against ISIS in Syria together with Turkey, but the Syrian government has expressed

clearly, that it would view such a move as a breach of sovereignty. However, some experts sees

Jordan as the most likely player in the conflict to be able to, locally, leading a ground offensive

clearing out ISIS from Damascus, Syria.

Jordan wants a future Syria with sectarian peace. In Jordan, there has been a Kurdish minority since

the 12th century and the former prime minister of Jordan was of Kurdish ethnicity, so they want to

foster good relations with the Kurds. The Jordanian delegates will then have to choose whether their

solidarity with the Kurds is worth sacrificing some of the good-will they have from Turkey or whether

perhaps another solution is possible, such as having the Turkish Kurds move to Northern Iraq

instead. Jordan has become a main peace builder in the region in large part due to the diplomacy of

its charismatic half British king, Abdullah II, who has a great ability to build relations with foreign

diplomates. Their military is leading in the region and have educated the military forces of many of

their allies. The Jordanian delegates could take it upon themselves to lead a military coalition of local

troops into Syria and Iraq to root out ISIL and ANF for good.

United Arab Emirates

GNI per capita 43,480 USD Population 9.9 mil. Form of government Federation of 7 hereditary monarchies Head of Government President Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar,

Jordan, Oman, Italy

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a former British colony and a thriving federation on the Arab

Peninsula currently engaged in spending its huge oil riches on modernizing its major cities in order to

make the most high-tech country in the world. It also spends its riches building foreign relations and

it is the number one foreign investor in US politics. In the first few years of the conflict, UAE

supported the Syrian government and retained strong diplomatic ties until around 2014, but its good

relations with Saudi Arabia who is the leader of the Gulf States seems to won over, and UAE is now

ready to ground troops into Syria to fight ISIS against the will of Assad. The Gulf States, of which UAE

is part, has also required that Assad be deposed if any solution is be found. UAE has long combatted

the spread of radical Islamism (not of the religion, Islam, but of the violent program to turn the

entire world into a strict Sharia khalifate) in the Middle East, and it believes that the reason many

Sunnis in Syria turn to Islamism is that they are afraid of the Shiite Assad regime, and want to be sure

to get rid of it.

Republic of Iraq

GNI per capita 6,410 usd Population 36.6 mil. Form of government Federal parliamentary republic Head of Government President Fuad Masum Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar, Jordan,

UAE, Oman, Italy

Iraq has for many years been a tumultuous country, during the reign of Saddam Hussein from 1979 –

2003, the regime systematically oppressed the Kurds in the north and Shias in the South. When a US-

led coalition attacked Hussein in the second Gulf War, these minorities helped depose Hussein and

today the government is led by a Kurdish president and a Shia prime minister. In the Syrian conflict

Iraq is a battlefield much like Syria. After Hussein, it was very difficult to establish a working

democracy, and it was from the ruins of the Iraqi state that ISIS arose who are now fighting in both

Iraq and Syria. All this means that Iraq is in no condition to move into Syria but has to fight its own

fights first. They naturally want support against the ISIS presence within their country and they want

to depose Assad. Iraq used to be a Sunni regime oppressing Kurds and Shias, and now it is led by

those very people, so it will not want to build a new Syria that allows for this kind of systematic

oppression, but at the same time, Iraq needs supporters in the region to held keep it stabile more

than it needs to shape the future Syria. Iraqi delegates should try to make sure that the rest of the

ISSG does not forget that Iraq also needs support. They should lobby for a non-oppressive state in

Syria and they should not accept the presence of dangerous foreign militias.

Lebanese Republic

GNI per capita 9,880 USD Population 5.9 mil. Form of government Unitary parliamentary multi-confessionalist republic Head of Government Acting president Tammam Salam Allies on this issue Officially neutral but leaning toward Russia

Lebanon used to be a French colony under the same mandate as Syria, and for a long time after their

independences in 1945, Syria tried to control Lebanese politics. The third largest political party, and

largest Shia party, in the Lebanese parliament, Hezbollah, is currently fighting in Syria to help Assad

regain control. While Shiite Hezbollah is in no doubt as to whom they want to support, the Lebanese

people and politicians are not in such an agreement. In 2010, Russia decided to arm the Lebanese

military in order that they may defend themselves and today it is seen that Hezbollah is primarily

armed by Russia. It is clear that Russia wants Lebanon on its side, because the Syrian war is currently

spilling into Lebanon, and if Lebanon are fighting the same people that Russia are fighting then

Russia will stand stronger. Nevertheless, Lebanon’s main mission in these debates are to ensure that

they themselves will be safe from Syria-conflict-overspill. This means that they need more border

protection, and they need a strong military effort against ISIS, Al Nusra and other enemy militias.

With regard to Kurds, they have long been marginalized in Lebanon, so Lebanon is not likely to be

the most vocal advocate for securing the rights and security of the Kurds. On the other hand, the

Lebanese government has before shown its will to protect Lebanese Christians when these have

been in danger. Demographically, Lebanon is a very equal mixture of Sunnis, Shias and Christians and

it will not want to see any of these groups harmed under a new Syrian government.

Italian Republic

GNI per capita 34,280 USD Population 60.7 mil. Form of government Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic Head of Government Prime minister Matteo Renzi Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar,

Jordan, UAE, Oman

Italy is currently heavily burdened by refugees and other migrants travelling across the

Mediterranean to Europe. While Italy is an ally of the US-led coalition, it is not actively assisting in

the bombings of ISIS – a strategy that the Italian prime minister does not see as a viable solution as

much as a show for the public. Furthermore, Italy has rejected the possibility of finding a lasting

solution to the conflict without Russia’s help. Italy is also a supporter of the Kurds who are fighting

ISIS and they are unlikely to accept a new Syrian state without a viable solution for its minorities –

that being said, peace and stability is still the number one priority in rebuilding Syria. Traditionally

Italy has also served as a diplomatic middle ground between USA and Russia and facilitated meeting

where they could better their diplomatic relations, Italy might once again in this conflict attempt to

mediate the differences between USA and Russia. Thus the Italian delegates should not seek so

much to get their own unique vision of a Syrian future through, they should rather seek to make a

solution that both the US and Russia can agree to.

Sultanate of Oman

GNI per capita 18,150 USD Population 4.4 mil. Form of government Unitary parliamentary absolute monarchy Head of Government Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said Allies on this issue USA, UK, France, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Qatar,

Jordan, UAE, Italy

Oman is the southernmost Gulf State on the Arab Peninsula. Politically, its profile is almost identical

to other Gulf States: It has gotten rich from the sale of oil, it is a strict Muslim rule and it wants to

modernize the region to give the Arabs the best place in the world. Oman has a bad record of many

humans rights breaches, but currently the USA is looking the other way. While it is part of the US-led

coalition, Oman also sees the need to bring Assad to the negotiation-table to obtain a peaceful

solution. The majority in Oman are Ibadi and neither Shia nor Sunni, which means that Oman does

not really have great sectarian motivation to go into the Syrian conflict.

The Oman position is very vague on this issue but the Omani delegates should find a broad solution

trying to get Russia and Gulf States on the same side. In broad strokes, most of the ISSG wants the

same thing, but they differ as to how much they want to get rid of Assad, whether they are willing to

protect the Kurds and how strongly they feel the need for democracy. With regard to these

questions, the Omani delegates should use their ingenuity but avoid ruining their diplomatic

relations.