NEW YORK // The US president Barack Obama has said he is seeking ways to increase pressure on Bashar Al Assad’s government as the second round of Syrian peace talks in Geneva ended on Saturday in an impasse.
The final day of talks lasted less than 30 minutes and ended with the Syrian political opposition and government delegations agreeing only to meet again in principle but without setting a specific date.
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi apologised to Syrians at a news conference afterwards, saying, “I am very, very sorry, and I apologise to the Syrian people that their hopes which were very, very high that something will happen here.”
Mr Brahimi said he had proposed to both sides that to save time, the first day of the next round of talks should deal with the Syrian government’s stated priority, ending violence and terrorism, while the second would focus on how to create a transitional governing body (TGB), which the Geneva Communique agreed to by all sides in 2012 states as the goal of the talks.
But even this agenda was not agreed upon, Mr Brahimi said, and he appeared to blame Syrian government intransigence.
“Unfortunately the government has refused, which raises the suspicion of the opposition that in fact the government doesn’t want to discuss the TGB at all,” he said.
France and Britain both blamed the Al Assad regime for the collapse of the talks.
Britain’s foreign secretary William Hague said the failure to agree on an agenda for future rounds of talks was a “serious setback in the search for peace in Syria, and the responsibility for it lies squarely with the Assad regime”.
The second round also ended with acrimony between the main sponsors of the talks, the United States and Russia, as tensions mounted over Moscow’s inability or unwillingness to do more to pressure Syria to take up the question of a transitional government.
On Friday, Russian officials accused the Syrian opposition and its supporters of prioritising “regime change” over all else.
Meanwhile, as the Syrian regime forces appeared to be preparing to assault the rebel-held town of Yabroud, near the border with Lebanon, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the weeks since the talks began were the bloodiest of the entire war.
More than 3,400 were killed this month, according to the London-based organisation, bringing the overall death toll to more than 140,000 since 2011.
After acknowledging that US strategy to help end the conflict through dialogue was failing, Mr Obama said that he was looking at new options for increasing pressure on Damascus.
“There will be some intermediate steps that we can take to apply more pressure to the Assad regime, and we’re going to be continuing to work with all the parties concerned to try to move forward on a diplomatic solution,” Mr Obama said after a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in California. He did not say what those steps might entail.
Diplomats in Geneva told the New York Times that the US administration might increase the scale of a CIA programme to arm and train rebels or even consider the threat of military strikes to force the delivery of aid to civilians.
The US has also reportedly increased its financial support for the rebel groups it supports, giving millions of dollars for fighters’ salaries.
Saudi Arabia, which supports some of the same rebel groups as the US, reportedly has agreed to provide anti-aircraft missiles to the rebels for the first time.
The US has long opposed giving such weapons, which can down commercial airliners, for fear they could fall into the hands of terrorists.
Riyadh and other western allies had complied but the Wall Street Journal reported that it will now begin distributing the weapons to bolster a rebel offensive aimed at taking parts of Damascus’ southern suburbs that could force the regime to be more willing to compromise in Geneva.
Mr Obama also pledged $1 billion in loan guarantees to Jordan. The money is meant to help Washington’s close ally cope with the destabilising flow of nearly 600,000 Syrian refugees as well as the loss of natural gas from Egypt.
tkahn@thenational.ae
* With reporting by Agence France-Presse, Reuters and Associated Press
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
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THE POPE'S ITINERARY
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport