Ceasefire deal on Syria? - A welcome step

Sometimes it is necessary to clutch at straws, and even if yesterday’s announcement from US secretary of state John Kerry, that he and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov have reached a provisional agreement on Syria, falls into that category, it must be welcomed and supported.

Every age seems to have its catastrophe, one that shows humanity at its worst and most destructive.

The anarchy destroying so much of the Middle East is the platform for today’s catastrophe, a catastrophe animated by the barbarism of Islamic State and driven by the innumerable factions trying to dominate their particular regions.

Should yesterday’s announcement become the starting point for a process to resolve the region’s difficulties, the world could celebrate and focus on the kind of supportive participation — and arm-twisting to encourage autocratic states to be more tolerant and inclusive.

It would be foolish, however, to imagine that any solution would end the flow of refugees into Europe or the ongoing threat of Islamic fanaticism.

These challenges will remain despite any peace deal.