Syria peace talks in jeopardy as both sides entrench positions

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Guardian

Plans for Syrian peace talks in Geneva next month appeared in danger of being derailed on Wednesday night as the country's divided opposition movement issued a fresh demand for Bashar al-Assad's government to be excluded from the political process, while Damascus insisted the Syrian president would stay in power until 2014 and possibly beyond.

Russia and France also clashed over whether Iran should be allowed to attend the talks, and diplomats suggested that the mid-June target date might have to be pushed back. Turkey warned that if the negotiations failed, it would mark the end of the road for diplomacy and open the gates to the wholesale arming of opposition forces.

In the midst of fierce internal wrangling in Istanbul, the fragmented National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces issued its first statement on the Geneva conference, but did not say it would attend. Instead it laid down a list of demands, for "the head of the regime, security and military leadership to step down and be excluded from the political process" and for a "halt to Iran and Hezbollah's invasion of Syria and [their expulsion] from the country". The coalition said a timetable for these goals was needed "with the international community offering binding guarantees".

The Assad government has said it will attend the talks but the foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, gave an interview to a Lebanese television station in which he laid down a hard line.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/29/syria-peace-talks-in-jeopardy

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Meanwhile :

UN Envoy Describes Friend of Syria Conference in Tehran as "Very Important"

The international 'Friends of Syria' conference started work here in Tehran on Wednesday afternoon to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis in the Muslim country.

High-ranking officials and representatives of over 40 world countries and regional and international organizations are present the daylong meeting being held under the motto of 'Political Solution, Regional Stability'.

In a message to the conference, Brahimi pointed to the upcoming Geneva II Conference on Syria, and said similar to the Geneva II conference, the "conference of Friends of Syria in Tehran is highly important".

He stressed the deep impacts of the crisis in Syria on the region, and stressed that "all countries are responsible" for finding a solution to the crisis in Syria.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9202245634

[John2]

1. Do you have the names

and positions of these Syrian Opposition Leaders making these demands for Assad to step down and now his military people? They don't even control the city they were fighting in now for the last week and just lost the major air base within that region to Assad and Hezbullah. It is being rumored as a major defeat for the opposition and there are reports Assad's forces are beginning to start a major offensive on the city of Aleppo. You can't make demands on an Army that is winning. It would be the first in military history but are we talking about rational people or extremists? A lot of them are getting killed and they are killing a lot of people supporting Assad. I heard there was a car bomb killing over 40 people in Syria but the U.S. vetoed the condemnation of it, and the Russians accused the U.S. of double standards. The more this War escalates the truth will reveal itself. The real reason they are crying for weapons and a no fly zone is because they are losing badly. I heard over 1000 rebels fled and some of their commanders deserted on the field of battle in that area. I also heard one of Al Nusar's top commanders was killed in the battle. I guess it depends on which Terrorists you support, Hezbullah or Al Qaeda representative Al Nusar. The U.S.,Britain, France, Israel and Turkey seems to have chosen Al Qaeda. You go Paul! I finally agree with a rightwinger.