Syria will join peace talks, but wants to know what 'terrorists' will be there - LA Times - 0 views
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he Syrian government declared Saturday it is ready to attend peace talks scheduled in Geneva later this month
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The Geneva negotiations are the first step in a road map laid out last year by the international community to end the Syrian civil war. The
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credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance,” constitutional reform and U.N.-supervised elections within 18 months
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parties will participate in the conference, while excluding those deemed as terrorist organizations
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“terrorists” and “mercenaries,” as well as the sectarian nature of many rebel factions on the ground.
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use of shelling and aerial bombardment against civilians, safe and voluntary refugee transfer, and unfettered access for humanitarian agencies to besieged areas of Syria.
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“useful” and that he is “looking forward to the active participation of relevant parties in the Geneva talks.”
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The talks face another stumbling block in soaring tensions between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia,
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Iran’s Shiite leadership has backed Assad, a member of the Alawite sect that is related to Shia Islam.
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Last week, Saudi Arabia executed an influential Shiite cleric, enraging Iran and leading to a cutoff of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
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an has similarly called for calm, while diplomatic efforts from Iraq and Oman continue to encourage a reconciliation between the two countries
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Previous attempts at jump-starting peace talks have failed because of what was viewed as the government's intransigence regarding rebel participation.
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don’t at all see that the proposed date is a realistic one, especially since on the ground there were no confidence-building measures,”
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He cited the situation in Madaya, a town with an estimated population of 40,000 located 25 miles northwest of Damascus that has been besieged by pro-government forces since July.
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“The issue of Madaya has become a key point. The Syrian cannot go to negotiations while Syrians are dying of hunger and cold,”
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he furor also has affected the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, an ally of the Assad government, which is accused of perpetrating what Madaya residents have described as a nightmare
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Hateet also accused rebel fighters bunkered inside Madaya of holding civilians hostage, barring their exit from the town.