Syria talks continue in Geneva without main opposition

[Anthea]

Syria peace talks continue in Geneva without main opposition

GENEVA — The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria will brief major powers on the situation late on Wednesday (April 27) at the end of this round of peace talks, a U.N. spokesman said on Tuesday (April 26).

Staffan de Mistura held talks with the Syrian government delegation again on Tuesday and plans to do so again on Wednesday - following a walk-out last week by the main opposition.

He will address a closed-door meeting of the U.N. Security Council from Geneva on Wednesday from 2100 GMT, spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said.

De Mistura also met with a delegation comprised of activists belonging to the "Moscow-Astana platform", and the "Cairo platform," referring to the towns where they coalesced.

These activists, with different backgrounds and political positions, were invited to take part in the Geneva peace process.

Qadri Jamil, a member of the Moscow-Astana platform, said last month their delegation wanted to hold direct talks with the government.

In a position paper they distributed last month, the Moscow-Astana platform called for "democratic, radical, deep and comprehensive change."

http://www.nrttv.com/EN/Details.aspx?Jimare=6533

[Anthea]

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria will brief major powers on the situation late on Wednesday (April 27) at the end of this round of peace talks, a U.N. spokesman said on Tuesday (April 26).

What is there to say

Let us go back to basics

Who is fighting whom and why?

At this stage in events I very much doubt anyone is able to answer this question

Who are supposed to be the main target in Syria?

The Syrian problems started off with peaceful protects

I remember one young singer in Homs, just protests songs and the odd burning cars, no weapons or killing

Then people from outside Homs moved in with guns and Homs soon became a target for the Syrian government

I have never been certain who the first gunmen were

Reports I read told me they were not from Homs itself

Then the confusion set in

I am becoming a tad confused

Everyone is confused

THE ENTIRE SITUATION IS CONFUSING

America started funding rebel groups, always a bad idea

ISIS may well have evolved through such funding

Many MANY assorted radical groups have sprung up

Some connected to other groups

Some no more than groups of friends

Everyone appears to be fighting everyone else

Most groups seem to have Kurds as their main target

There is no loyalty among the rebels

Many of the different groups change sides frequently

It does not take a genius to realise that for these peace talks to succeed, the government and the main warring parties NEED to be involves

A) Warring jihadist groups can have no part in any opposition

To include them as part of any legal opposition to the Assad regime would grant them legitimacy, that must never happen

B) Love him or hate him Assad has to remain in power

Were Assad to be forced out Syria would decline into an even greater mess, with all the various groups killing each other to gain control

C) Around HALF of the Syrian population has left the country entirely and many thousands have become Internally Displaced People, living near borders hoping for refuge somewhere safe

D) This is in slightly reversed order, because the first thing that should have happened is the closure of borders, especially those with Turkey

E) The talks must include ISIS and some of the other jihadist groups

F) Solution:

Emptying Syria is only making more room for jihadists

Erdogan wants Turkey to become an Islamic State, so perhaps ISIS should move out of Syria and take up residence in Turkey, or some other country which shares iSIS views of Radical Islam

G) Remember there are always 2 or more sides to an argument and what one groups believes to be correct others groups

H) The only way forward is to talk - killing is NOT the solution