Friday, January 24, 2014

Last Minute Deal Saves The Syrian Peace Talks (Maybe)

Syrian Information Minister Omran Zoabi (L) speaks to a journalist during his arrival for a meeting with U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi (not seen) at a U.N. office in Geneva, Jan. 24, 2014. VOA

Syria Peace Talks Near Collapse Before They Begin -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Syria's first peace talks came close to collapsing before they began on Friday, with the opposition refusing to meet President Bashar al-Assad's delegation and the government threatening to bring its team home.

Still, figures on both sides later seemed to moderate their positions, expressing a willingness to meet their enemies.

The opposition said early on Friday that it would not meet Assad's delegation unless it first agreed to sign up to a protocol calling for a transitional administration. The government rejected the demand outright and said its negotiators would return home unless serious talks began within a day.

Read more ....

More News On The Syrian Peace Talks

2 Sides Agree to Direct Syria Talks, Averting a Breakdown -- New York Times
UN Envoy: Syria Talks to Resume on Saturday -- Voice of America
Warring Syrian sides to meet Saturday -- USA Today/AP
Syrian officials, opposition groups to meet on Saturday in Geneva, U.N. envoy says -- Washington Post
Syrian government threatens to walk out of peace talks in Geneva if 'serious' discussions have not been held by tomorrow -- Daily Mail
Syrian Government Threatens to Withdraw From Peace Talks -- Wall Street Journal
Syria regime 'may quit Geneva II talks' -- BBC
Regime threatens to quit troubled Syria peace talks -- AFP

WNU Editor: These are sobering statistics .... Toll of Syria's devastation: The war, in numbers -- Seattle PI/AP

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