Syrian peace talks scheduled for later this month as part of a UN Security Council-endorsed roadmap for peace still remain in doubt, as no rebel factions have agreed to actually attend yet. The rebels today reiterated a large number of demands for the government before they’ll consider taking part.
The rebels also took a shot at the UN mediators for trying to convince them to take part in the talks without such preconditions, insisting that the UN push for peace was only going to prolong the war and prevent any settlement of the conflict.
In addition to the reluctance of the rebels to agree to join, it’s unclear which rebels will even be invited, as the US, Russia, and other nations haven’t formally agreed on a list of who is a proper rebel and who is a terrorist to be excluded from the effort.
While the talks were announced weeks ago and there was seemingly plenty of time, there are just a couple of weeks remaining before the planned talks now, and with little progress being made it could end up another “peace meeting” in which only one side is represented.
So the Syrian “opposition” are willing to talk as long as it’s agreed from the start they get everything they want, otherwise the bloodshed will continue. Some “diplomacy.”
Which rebels meant in the article? Are they completely anonymous? Is it The Nusra Front Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), The Nusra front, it is now increasingly insignificant The Free Syrian Army (FSA) or any of the many extreme Islamic fractions?
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