Switzerland: The crucial Syria peace talks began, today, in this picturesque town on Lake Geneva amid little hope of a real breakthrough to end the years of bloodshed in the Middle Eastern country. Representatives of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the opposition and diplomats from over 30 countries hope to try and find a negotiated settlement to war that has left 130,000 dead and forced millions from their homes.
However, given the rigid stance adopted by both sides, the talks may end without any real forward movement other than having achieved success in bringing the warring sides to the table. Assad regime is being represented by Syria’s foreign minister Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem while the rebel Syrian National Coalition is led by Ahmed Jabra.
But the exclusion of Iran, the prime backer of Assad, financially and militarily, after it was first invited by UN leader Ban Ki-moon, has ensured that Assad regime would not cooperate in talks to the extent the international community expects it to. Syria’s opposition had threatened to boycott the talks if Iran, a key backer of the Assad regime, took part.
Also, new evidence alleging that Assad’s forces have systematically killed and tortured thousands would make the so-called Geneva-II a futile exercise. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem dismissed opposition demands for Assad to step down. In an AFP interview published Monday, Assad bluntly ruled out a power-sharing deal. He insisted the peace conference should focus on what he called his “war against terrorism”.
Bureau Report
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