Last month’s Geneva II peace talks on Syria came and went with a lot of noise and a lot of blame-trading. A month later, the talks seem more or less permanently on hold.
UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi says that it is “unlikely” there will be any new Geneva talks on Syria any time soon, citing the lack of interest from either side and “conditions” that aren’t conducive to another round.
The rebels warned Brahimi they won’t hold any new talks ever if Syria goes through with scheduled elections, which since they won’t be held in rebel territory will almost certainly mean another term for President Assad.
The Assad government, likewise, sees little point in talking with the feckless rebel factions the West has agreed to allow at Geneva talks, since those factions have little to no influence on the fighters on the ground and can’t really agree to anything to begin with.
Just as well…there really wasn't any intent to quell the violence anyway. They were just waiting for Assad to throw in the towel so they could all run in and divide the country up for themselves…after Israel, of course.
Assad has no reason to attend talks when the only topic acceptable to the US, according to John Kerry, is how and when Assad will hand power to US sponsored "rebels." The "rebels" are already fighting amongst themselves. Does anyone, except perennially self deluded neocons/ neolibs, seriously think the violence will stop if one "rebel" faction is handed the keys to begin looting Syria?