Time for someone else to have a go

摘要

KAZAKHSTAN is an odd place to seek a fresh start for Syria. Its strongman, Nur-sultan Nazarbayev, has been in charge since Soviet times. In 2015 he won 97.7% of the vote-an even better tally than Syria's despot, Bashar al-Assad, can command. But as a Russian-speaking capital of a Turkic nation sharing the Caspian Sea with Iran, there was some symbolism in selecting its capital, Astana, as a place to unveil the new tripartite protectorate over Syria.