Angus McDowall, Reuters: Little prospect of Syria peace progress seen in Geneva talks
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A breakthrough in U.N.-backed Syria peace talks in Geneva this week seems hardly more likely than in seven failed earlier rounds as President Bashar al-Assad pushes for total military victory and his opponents stick by their demand he leave power.
U.N. Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura said on Monday the Syrian government had not yet confirmed that it would attend the talks. A Syrian newspaper reported that the government delegation would delay its planned Tuesday arrival in Geneva because of the opposition’s insistence Assad step down.
The opposition’s stance is seen by Damascus and its allies as divorced from reality after the government’s steady march of victories since Russia entered the war in 2015. The rebels have been forced from all Syria’s big cities and their hopes of toppling Assad by military means look finished.
The opposition has also accused the government of refusing to seriously engage.
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WNU Editor: The Syrian government has just bailed out on these UN sponsored talks .... Syrian government holds off on joining peace talks (Channel News Asia/AFP). And while the UN is still optimistic that Syria will attend .... UN urges Syrian government to attend Geneva talks (AP), even talking about UN sponsored elections .... The Latest: UN envoy says Syria talks to focus on election (AP) .... I say that since Syrian President Assad no longer feels threaten, his interest in these talks are not a priority.
