If World War III were to break out where other than Syria would it start? In the playground of international interests, the prerequisites of a third world war are taking shape and if nothing is done to prevent it, it may as well be the end of the world as we know it. The geography, the population, borders, armies, even political systems will change and a new world order will be formed- not to mention the millions of deaths, injuries, homelessness, and many other consequences of a global confrontation.

As the first Russian combat aircraft arrived in Syria as part of a larger initiative to provide military support for the nation grappling with an extremist-waged war, the sirens of alarm are ringing over� a much-dreaded Russian-US escalation that may ultimately lead to a bloody confrontation.

Washington has hence requested to coordinate actions with Moscow in the war zone where a US-led coalition launched an aerial but limited campaign against militant positions last year.

Last week, US President Barack Obama warned the Kremlin against a military buildup in Syria. This week, he is overtly imploring for coordination to avert an inadvertent confrontation with the Russians.

Yet asking to cooperate with the Russians, who seek to assist Damascus in its internal fight against terrorism, while providing logistical support for terrorists under the pretext of bombing them, for example "accidently" dropping aid instead of bombs, is an act of hypocrisy on the part of the United States and its allies.

In order to ward off a breakout of a third world war, the Syrian crisis and the developments surrounding it must be contained. The following are solutions that may be used to avoid a worldwide military confrontation:

1- A UN-supervised international conference with the participation of all countries involved in Syria as well as the two main sides of the conflict: the government and the oppositions to chart a political solution to the crisis.

2- A complete halt to all kinds of aid delivered to terrorist groups operating in Syria including logistical, financial, and military assistance. This can only be done while simultaneously adopting a firm strategy against them.

3- �An agreement on a viable solution to the refugee crisis by providing security so that the millions of refugees escaping the violence can remain within the Syrian borders. For example, permanent humanitarian ceasefires can be enforced in specific locations to protect civilians.

Now with the US and Russian presence defining the polarity of the situation in Syria and dividing the world into supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, any clash between American and Russian troops on Syrian soil has the potential to drag the entire world into an all-out war.

With previous experiences like WW I when the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was used as a pretext to ignite hostilities, history may repeat itself, this time, in Syria.

It may be minutes, hours, days, months, maybe even years away. But many political observers believe it is only a matter of time before the globe falls into another vortex of violence.

By Al Waght