Editorial
Distrust will not bring peace
Syrian civil war rages on
It has become imperative to stop the massive loss of lives as the Syrian civil war steps into its third year. The setting of preconditions however, both by the Syrian regime and the opposition, has emerged as the major stumbling block to the proposed peace process due to take place in Geneva. In the meantime, the civil war rages on that has left more than 100,000 dead and 40 per cent of the Syrian population displaced. For months, the United States, Russia and regional powerhouses Iran and Turkey have sought to bring the two sides to the negotiating table. The opposition's demand to exclude both Assad and his closest associates in any interim government is evidently unacceptable to the government in Syria. With the Assad regime regaining some ground against a fragmented opposition, the regime's tough stand is not difficult to understand.
Now with both Russia and the US along with other major players firmly backing the notion of a transitional government, it is high time that all players in the Syrian conflict come to the negotiating table. The Geneva Communiqué is backed by the UN, Arab League and European Union; China, France, Russia, UK, USA, Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar. The humanitarian disaster cannot be allowed to continue any longer. Protagonists can and must be dissuaded by international backers that their whims will not be entertained any longer – that only a negotiated settlement can end the carnage happening in Syria. Issues and concerns can only be addressed through peace talks, not war.
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