PHOTO: Deputy Foreign Minister Feisal Mikdad
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UPDATE 1315 GMT: United Nations mediator Lakhdar Brahimi has adjourned the second round of Geneva II talks, after less than 30 minutes on Saturday morning with the regime and opposition delegations.
Brahimi said afterwards that he had proposed an agenda for another round of talks that would focus first on ending the violence and terrorism — the priority set by the Assad delegation — then on how to create a transitional governing body, the central demand on the opposition.
“Unfortunately, the government has refused,” Brahimi told reporters, saying he would contact the US and Russia about the next steps.
He continued:
I think it is better that every side goes back and reflects on their responsibility (and if) they want this process to continue or not. It’s not good for the process, it’s not good for Syria, that we come back for another round and fall back into the same traps that we have been struggling with.
Brahimi said, “I am very, very sorry and I apologize to the Syrian people that their hopes which were very very high here, that something will happen here.”
The second round of Geneva II talks on Syria appear to be grinding to a halt, with both the Assad and opposition delegations declaring no possibility of progress.
United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, a day after meeting US and Russian diplomats in an attempt to push the delegations into agreement on an agenda, held separate talks with the two sides to no effect.
UN sources said Brahimi will host a joint session on Saturday, but it was unclear what could be discussed.
“Unfortunately we have reached a dead end,” said opposition spokesman Louay Safi, blaming regime “belligerence” for the stalemate. “I hope we can still find an opening in that wall.”
Safi said it was too early to say whether there would be a third round of talks.
Declaring “deep regret”, Deputy Foreign Minister Feisal Mikdad said, “”We came to Geneva to solve the Syrian crisis politically but the other party came with Western agendas of only one focus, which is to establish a transitional governing body. (The) government is ready to discuss the issue of transitional government only after the counter-terrorism file is taken care of.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov set up the post-Geneva line in support of President Assad, blaming both the opposition and Russia’s “partners” — i.e., the US — for the stalemate.
Echoing Damascus, he said, “The only thing (the opposition) want to talk about is the establishment of a transitional governing body. Only after that are they ready to discuss the urgent and most pressing problems, like terrorism.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry responded during a trip to China. He said that Lavrov had been alongside him on several occasions as he declared the sole purpose of Geneva II was agreement on a transitional government.
“There is no question about what this is about and any efforts to try to be revisionist or walk back or step away from that frankly is not keeping work or keeping faith with the words that have been spoken and the intent of this conference,” Kerry asserted.
Opposition Head Visits Insurgent-Held Northwest Syria
Ahmed Jarba, the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, traveled into northwest Syria on Friday.
Jarba offered condolences to the family of Yaser Qarmouz, a commander in the Syrian Revolutionaries Front who was killed recently.
The Coalition head was greeted by other commanders, including SRF head Jamal Maarouf, pictured behind him:
Assad Regime Insists Homs Evacuees “Receiving All Services”
Regime officials have insisted that the hundreds of civilians moved from the Old City of Homs in the last week are “receiving all forms of services in their makeshift residential center” in a school.
The officials said “false reports” of poor treatment were trying to affect “civilians who are still blockaded in the old city and are used as human shields by the armed terrorist groups”.
Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi, touring the school, said some of the hundreds of men detained during the evacuation had been released: “181 citizens, aged between 14 and 54, have settled their situation and were released afterwards”.
On Friday, the UN halted the evacuation until the fate of detained men was clear.
United Nations officials said about 400 men had been taken away for questioning. Syrian authorities said those connected with “terrorist” acts would be imprisoned, while those who recanted links with the opposition would be freed.
141 Killed on Friday
The Local Coordination Committees report 141 people killed on Friday, including 16 children and 5 women. Of the deaths, 59 were in Aleppo Province and 46 in Daraa Province.
