Riyadh is pushing the U.N.to condemn Iranian and Russian intervention in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, a move than has prompted complaints from the delegations of Iran and Syria.
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Troops, backed by pro-government militia, broke through the Islamic State (IS) group’s siege of the Kweyris military airport in Aleppo Province, a photographer said.
A member of the National Coalition criticised the process as serving regional interests over those of the Syrian people.
Western and Gulf Arab nations dismissed a Russian plan for peace and reform in Syria and said it will not form the basis for talks in Vienna this weekend.
Ministers will discuss the mechanics of a cease-fire and the United Kingdom will propose confidence-building measures including prisoner exchanges and an end to barrel-bombing by Assad’s army, Hammond said. They are scheduled to meet with officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russian lawmakers, before visiting the Chechen Republic to meet with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Russia, a strong supporter of Assad, recently stepped up diplomatic efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict, which has killed more than 250,000 people in almost five years.
“That just isn’t enough”, the United Nations diplomat told AFP.
The document says the constitutional reform process and transitional period could take up to 18 months before elections are held.
Russian Federation launched air strikes in Syria in support of Assad at the end of September but the regime has still struggled to advance against opposition forces and securing Kweyris would mark their first major victory in the Aleppo area.
The eight-point document, which comes ahead of global peace talks in Vienna on Saturday, also calls for concerted worldwide efforts against ISIL and “other terrorist groups”.
Assad’s troops killed “hundreds of ISIS terrorists and destroyed their dens and cells with all weapons inside”, Syria’s state-controlled SANA news reported.
“The first is to systematize and understand who we should consider terrorists in Syria and in the region, and the second is to establish a list of the representative Syrian opposition that can conduct negotiations with Damascus”, said Zakharova.
A security source said the attack took place near Latakia’s Tishreen University where many students were gathered.
Indeed, the Assad regime’s use of barrel bombs – steel barrels packed with explosives and shrapnel – against its own citizens has allowed ISIS to market itself as the only group that can protect Syrians from the government’s brutality. It makes no mention of Assad stepping down in the interim – which is a key demand of opposition fighters – but does assert that he will not chair the constitutional process. His words reflect the deep mistrust among Syria’s myriad opposition and rebel factions of any proposal emerging from the Russians. It is unclear how far Tehran, which has pumped billions of dollars into supporting Assad, would compromise following its nuclear deal with the West. What to make of these conflicting narratives? An earlier session included no Syrians inside the ornate meeting hall.
Even though the latest talks represent the most serious opportunity yet, their success is a long shot, Gerges said.
The United States will have limited negotiating leverage, then, as long as ISIS keeps giving Assad and his allies an excuse to continue the war.
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Bassem Mroue has covered the Middle East for The Associated Press since 1992.
