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| U.S., Russia and U.N. Seek Common Ground for Syria Talks | U.S., Russia and U.N. Seek Common Ground for Syria Talks |
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| GENEVA — Senior United States, Russian and United Nations officials started talks here on Wednesday to try to find enough common ground among themselves and among parties to the Syria’s civil war to convene a second international conference that could halt the carnage and start a process of political transition. | GENEVA — Senior United States, Russian and United Nations officials started talks here on Wednesday to try to find enough common ground among themselves and among parties to the Syria’s civil war to convene a second international conference that could halt the carnage and start a process of political transition. |
| Wendy R. Sherman, the United States under secretary of state for political affairs, and two Russian deputy foreign ministers, Mikhail Bogdanov and Gennady Gatilov, joined the United Nations special representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, and Jeff Feltman, the United Nations;'s under secretary general for political affairs, with no sign of agreement on the timing, the agenda or who would participate. | |
| Their talks were initially expected to last only through Wednesday morning but after a late start could run later in the day if required, diplomats in Geneva said. | Their talks were initially expected to last only through Wednesday morning but after a late start could run later in the day if required, diplomats in Geneva said. |
| Confirmation by France and Britain in the past 24 hours that nerve gas had been used in Syria lent urgency to talks overshadowed by fears of an arms race as rival powers try to bolster the factions they support in the conflict and a warning by United Nations human rights investigators that more arms can only reduce the chances of peace and kill more civilians. | Confirmation by France and Britain in the past 24 hours that nerve gas had been used in Syria lent urgency to talks overshadowed by fears of an arms race as rival powers try to bolster the factions they support in the conflict and a warning by United Nations human rights investigators that more arms can only reduce the chances of peace and kill more civilians. |
| At the same time, battlefield developments showed the highly fluid and combustible nature of the war. Rebel forces said Wednesday that government troops, supported by units from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, had retaken the strategic town of Qusayr after a siege lasting weeks. | At the same time, battlefield developments showed the highly fluid and combustible nature of the war. Rebel forces said Wednesday that government troops, supported by units from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, had retaken the strategic town of Qusayr after a siege lasting weeks. |
| The government victory, first signaled by Syrian state media, came as a painful defeat for outgunned rebels, emboldening the forces of President Bashar al-Assad and possibly dampening prospects for peace negotiations at a time when the military advantage seemed to tilt in the government’s favor. | The government victory, first signaled by Syrian state media, came as a painful defeat for outgunned rebels, emboldening the forces of President Bashar al-Assad and possibly dampening prospects for peace negotiations at a time when the military advantage seemed to tilt in the government’s favor. |
| Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, agreed a month ago to arrange a conference as soon as possible to end more than two years of civil war amid deepening concern over the humanitarian catastrophe of a conflict that is estimated to have cost more than 70,000 lives and the increasing concern that it will ignite wider regional conflict. | Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, agreed a month ago to arrange a conference as soon as possible to end more than two years of civil war amid deepening concern over the humanitarian catastrophe of a conflict that is estimated to have cost more than 70,000 lives and the increasing concern that it will ignite wider regional conflict. |
| But the initiative soon ran into tensions over hard-line positions taken by Mr. Assad and opposing forces and deep rifts within Syria’s splintered opposition. | |
| The Obama administration says Mr. Assad cannot be part of any future government of Syria and has faced growing calls at home to intervene in the conflict. But Russia, Mr. Assad’s main patron and deeply suspicious of the West’s role in the Arab Spring revolutions, has insisted Mr. Assad’s fate can only be decided by Syrians and has bolstered its oldest Middle East ally with new deliveries of weapons. | |
| Only last week, Mr. Kerry sharply criticized Russia’s decision to sell advanced S-300 antiaircraft weapons to Mr. Assad as “profoundly negative,” warning it called into question Russia’s commitment to negotiations for a political settlement and threatened to further destabilize the region. Russia voiced similar criticisms of American support for a resolution condemning Syria in the United Nations Human Rights Council. | Only last week, Mr. Kerry sharply criticized Russia’s decision to sell advanced S-300 antiaircraft weapons to Mr. Assad as “profoundly negative,” warning it called into question Russia’s commitment to negotiations for a political settlement and threatened to further destabilize the region. Russia voiced similar criticisms of American support for a resolution condemning Syria in the United Nations Human Rights Council. |
| If the two powers can navigate through these differences, they still face the challenge of bringing Syrian parties in the conflict to the negotiating table. At a point when his army and pro-government militia, supported by Iran and Lebanon’s militant Shiite group Hezbollah, seem to have blunted rebel attacks, Mr. Assad appears in no mood to compromise. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said last week he would remain in office at least until elections in 2014. | If the two powers can navigate through these differences, they still face the challenge of bringing Syrian parties in the conflict to the negotiating table. At a point when his army and pro-government militia, supported by Iran and Lebanon’s militant Shiite group Hezbollah, seem to have blunted rebel attacks, Mr. Assad appears in no mood to compromise. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said last week he would remain in office at least until elections in 2014. |
| To further complicate matters, Syria’s main Western-supported opposition group, the Syria National Coalition, has refused to participate in any peace negotiation, saying the suggestion of talks was meaningless in view of continuing aggression by Mr. Assad’s forces. | To further complicate matters, Syria’s main Western-supported opposition group, the Syria National Coalition, has refused to participate in any peace negotiation, saying the suggestion of talks was meaningless in view of continuing aggression by Mr. Assad’s forces. |
Alan Cowell contributed reporting from London. | Alan Cowell contributed reporting from London. |