09-20-2013, 11:42 AM
A cease-fire in Syria is in negotiations.
Russia and Iran are reportedly pushing Assad to that end, and the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and the Assad regime reportedly agree that neither side can win this civil war militarily.
Peace talks are in the works for the Geneva conference, but the fear is that since the rebel forces are at odds, there may be no way to stop them when/if the governmental forces and the SNC (opposition group supported by the west) agree to cease fire.
Hoping the peace talks actually become reality, but just getting everyone around the same table is a battle. The US refuses to allow Iran to attend. Assad refuses to attend if certain factions of the rebel forces are represented because he "doesn't negotiate with terrorists". Sticky.
And, there's the continuing problem for the US: the SNC continues to refuse consideration of a cease fire and peace talks if a transitional government would include the possibility of Assad in any role.
But, the rise of ISIS (al-Qaeda linked groups led by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) is one principal reason why President Barack Obama has been hesitant to back the rebels more directly, with some analysts saying the United States would rather see Mr Assad hold on to power than engineer his downfall, allowing a power vacuum that al-Qaeda could fill.
Ref:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...talks.html
Russia and Iran are reportedly pushing Assad to that end, and the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and the Assad regime reportedly agree that neither side can win this civil war militarily.
Peace talks are in the works for the Geneva conference, but the fear is that since the rebel forces are at odds, there may be no way to stop them when/if the governmental forces and the SNC (opposition group supported by the west) agree to cease fire.
Hoping the peace talks actually become reality, but just getting everyone around the same table is a battle. The US refuses to allow Iran to attend. Assad refuses to attend if certain factions of the rebel forces are represented because he "doesn't negotiate with terrorists". Sticky.
And, there's the continuing problem for the US: the SNC continues to refuse consideration of a cease fire and peace talks if a transitional government would include the possibility of Assad in any role.
But, the rise of ISIS (al-Qaeda linked groups led by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) is one principal reason why President Barack Obama has been hesitant to back the rebels more directly, with some analysts saying the United States would rather see Mr Assad hold on to power than engineer his downfall, allowing a power vacuum that al-Qaeda could fill.
Ref:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...talks.html