Anyone who’s been paying even a little attention to the efforts to launch a Geneva II peace conference for Syria has known this for awhile, but Western officials are just finally admitting today that the speculative November 23 date will almost certainly not happen, and the talks are indefinitely delayed.
The big issue is that none of the rebels have agreed to show up at the talks, with a top Islamist umbrella organization of rebels threatening treason charges against anyone who does attend.
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) the self-proclaimed head of the rebellion, actually has almost no fighters supporting it anymore, but they offered a last minute deal to attend, on condition that the whole purpose of the meeting would be to install them as the “transitional government.”
Since the US doesn’t see any other way to get the rebels to the talks, and the SNC is the only rebel faction that really likes them anymore, the proposal was fine with the US, but since it wouldn’t actually end the fighting (but would rather turn the growing war between al-Qaeda is the Free Syrian Army into the “main” war), Russia rejected it, suggesting a growing split there, and one more reason to be pessimistic about the talks ever happening at all.
The "main" war for a while has not been between "Al-Qaeda" and Free Syrian Army — but between SALAFIS supported by Saudis, US and allies in the Gulf and Free Syrian Army.
Anybody who seriously pretend to write about the conflict must stop using "Al-Qaeda" as a crutch. Whether groups use the banner of Al-Qaeda or not — is IRRELEVANT. What matters is that they are ALL SALAFISTS. A quick definition: Salafis are protegees of Wahhbis of Saudi Arabia, they DO NOT WANT national governments, government job is only to obey Mecca and follow its Sharia, fundamentalism in daily lives is based on their narrow understanding of religion, killing of non-believers is not just their right but duty, non-believers are all that are not Salafi or Wahhbi, meaning all Sunni branches like Turskish Suffi, Hannafi, Egyptian Sunni Al-Azhar, etc. Free Syrian Army consisted of small number of Syrians, and large imported volunteers from Lybia, Kosovo, Bosnia, etc. After these volunteers joined their Salafi brethern, Free Syra Army is in talks with Assad.
The fantatic that kill babies and hang their bodied on trees will not negotiate. Shocker.