"In a barely veiled swipe at one of the Middle East’s leading powers, the United Nations’ special envoy for Syria accused Saudi Arabia of undermining his efforts to bring a broad slate of Syrian opposition groups to upcoming peace talks designed to end Syria’s brutal civil war.
In his confidential Jan. 18 briefing to the U.N. Security Council, which was obtained exclusively by Foreign Policy, Staffan de Mistura said Riyadh is complicating his efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Syrian conflict by trying to tightly control which opposition groups will be allowed to participate in the negotiations.
His comments came shortly after a slate of Saudi-backed Syrian opposition groups, organized under the banner of the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee (HNC), rebuffed his personal appeals to allow other groups to take part in the talks. De Mistura complained to the council that the Saudi-backed opposition coalition and its “sponsors insist on the primacy and exclusivity of their role as ‘THE’ opposition delegation.” While de Mistura did not name Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is the main international sponsor of the HNC. The group, however, is backed by France, Turkey, and Qatar." Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/20/u-n-envoy-signals-that-riyadh-is-obstructing-syria-peace-talks/
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"The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition ruled out even indirect negotiations with Damascus before steps including a halt to Russian air strikes, contradicting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's insistence that talks will begin next week.
With the five-year-old Syrian war showing no signs of ending, it looks increasingly uncertain that peace talks will begin as planned on Jan. 25 in Geneva, partly because of a dispute over the composition of the opposition delegation.
Peace efforts face huge underlying challenges, among them disagreements over President Bashar al-Assad's future and tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Russia on Friday denied a report that President Vladimir Putin had asked Assad to step down last year.
The Syrian government has said it is ready to take part in the Geneva talks on time. The office of U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said he was still aiming "at rolling out the talks" on Jan. 25, and would be "assessing progress over the weekend".
Russia said the talks could be delayed until Jan. 27 or 28 because of the disagreement over who would represent the opposition." Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN0V01S6
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"Clinton has been drawing attention to a comment Sanders made in Sunday's NBC News Democratic debate when he said, "I think what we've got to do is move as aggressively as we can to normalize relations with Iran."
That shows a level of naiveté, Clinton insists. In an interview with NPR Wednesday, Clinton drew attention to his position, calling it a "fundamental misunderstanding of what it takes to do the patient diplomacy that I have experience in."
After noting that Iran "seeks the destruction of Israel" and is "flouting international law with its ballistic missile threats," Sullivan said in the video, "it's not at all clear why it is Sen. Sanders is suggesting it."
In a conference call held for reporters Thursday, Sullivan reiterated his concern, saying normalizing relations with Iran is "a bridge too far" even for supporters of diplomatic relations with Iran." nbcnews.com
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Well, pilgrims, Clinton once sounded as though she actually understood international relations, but, no more. The Clintonian drive to power before all else is evident now. Triangulation is everything both in foreign policy and in her shameless pandering to Blacks in South Carolina. It is known now that she is one the main instigators and supporters of the R2P/neocon driven Syria policy/lunacy. She continues to say nonsensical things about; regime change, the need to install a replacement government that would include salafi jihadi elements, "no fly zones," unending and absolute hostility to Iran, and support for Erdogan's post-secular turkey. All of these things are on the Likudnik agenda. To top off the list of her "problems," her presentations are so over-rehearsed that they look wooden and phony.
Saudi Arabia is trying hard to win in the negotiations what its Wahhabi friends have not been able to win on the battlefield. That will not happen. Basic Tip: First you win on the battlefield, then at the peace talks.
IMO Syria and Russia are "playing along" with the peace talks meme for the purpose of demonstrating the futility of such an approach. That will work. pl
@ Jack
Read that Rabia has been liberated this morning and someone tweeted:
{Tomorrow's headline from the NYT after the liberation of Rabi'yah : "Assad forces commit sectarian massacre in rebel stronghold"}
and in Deir Ezzor:
http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/deir-ezzor-frontline-video/
Posted by: The Beaver | 24 January 2016 at 10:33 AM
I respectfully decline.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 24 January 2016 at 01:05 PM