Syria Ceasefire Could Make Way for Humanitarian Relief

Much-needed humanitarian relief may soon come to hungry and suffering people in Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, have brokered a "cessation of hostilities" agreement among Syrian war combatants.

Under terms of the agreement Russia, Syria, and the 40-country coalition will halt their bombing campaign against most anti-government forces.

Negotiators say humanitarian aid groups will begin delivering relief after a "cessation of hostilities" possibly begins within a week.

"The real test is whether all the parties honor" their commitments, Kerry said.  If they do, then a more permanent cease-fire may take place.

Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov will head up a joint task force that will monitor cease-fire activities.

Critics say a total cease-fire may be impossible to achieve because the Islamic State and Al Nusra Front are excluded from the "cessation of hositlities" agreement.

Both organizations are included on a list of international terrorist groups.

However, sources on the ground in Syria are more optimistic. They say intensified bombing raids against ISIS positions have succeeded; they have apparently caused the terrorist group to shift its tactics away from holding territory to only conducting occasional guerilla-style raids against government troops and supporters of the Assad regime.

Last week, the United Nations suspended a second round of peace talks in Geneva only three days after they began.

The talks came as Russian planes pounded anti-government positions in support of Syrian army troops which broke through rebel defenses in Aleppo.

Negotiators for the opposition demanded the Syrian government agree to a cease-fire before peace talks could continue.

The United Nations is hoping the Syria talks will resume by the end of February.