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| Syrian Talks, Ending First Round, Fail Even to Agree on Easing Aid Blockade | Syrian Talks, Ending First Round, Fail Even to Agree on Easing Aid Blockade |
| (7 months later) | |
| GENEVA — The first round of the Syria peace talks ended on Friday without achieving even its most modest goal: easing the Syrian government’s blockade on the delivery of food and medicine to besieged communities. | |
| Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov of Russia raised expectations in January at a joint news conference in Paris that a way would be found to open humanitarian aid corridors and possibly establish local cease-fires in Aleppo and other cities and towns. | Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov of Russia raised expectations in January at a joint news conference in Paris that a way would be found to open humanitarian aid corridors and possibly establish local cease-fires in Aleppo and other cities and towns. |
| But to the dismay of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations, even those basic steps proved elusive. | But to the dismay of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations, even those basic steps proved elusive. |
| “While the discussions continue to try to find a political solution to the crisis, ordinary men, women and children are dying needlessly across the country, and others are desperate for food, clean water and medical care,” said Valerie Amos, the United Nations chief aid coordinator. “The situation is totally unacceptable.” | “While the discussions continue to try to find a political solution to the crisis, ordinary men, women and children are dying needlessly across the country, and others are desperate for food, clean water and medical care,” said Valerie Amos, the United Nations chief aid coordinator. “The situation is totally unacceptable.” |
| A senior American official said the Syrian government had thwarted progress at the talks and refused to lift the blockade on the delivery of food and medicine to besieged areas, except for the delivery of aid to the Palestinian refugee camp at Yarmouk. | A senior American official said the Syrian government had thwarted progress at the talks and refused to lift the blockade on the delivery of food and medicine to besieged areas, except for the delivery of aid to the Palestinian refugee camp at Yarmouk. |
| The official said that 200,000 to 240,000 civilians were cut off from aid in areas controlled by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, including eastern Ghouta, Muadamiya and parts of Homs. | The official said that 200,000 to 240,000 civilians were cut off from aid in areas controlled by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, including eastern Ghouta, Muadamiya and parts of Homs. |
| About 45,000 civilians were cut off from assistance in rebel-controlled areas, including several towns in northern Syria: Zahra, Nubol and Fua. | About 45,000 civilians were cut off from assistance in rebel-controlled areas, including several towns in northern Syria: Zahra, Nubol and Fua. |
| “The regime is responsible for the lack of real progress in the first round of negotiations,” said officials from the United States and others of the so-called London 11 nations that have supported the moderate Syrian opposition. “We express outrage at the maintaining, by the regime, of its ‘starve or surrender’ strategy.” | “The regime is responsible for the lack of real progress in the first round of negotiations,” said officials from the United States and others of the so-called London 11 nations that have supported the moderate Syrian opposition. “We express outrage at the maintaining, by the regime, of its ‘starve or surrender’ strategy.” |
| In a statement the nations condemned the Assad government’s use of missiles, artillery and barrel bombs, which contain hundreds of pounds of explosives and shrapnel, against civilians as a violation of “basic human rights principles.” The London 11 nations are the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. | In a statement the nations condemned the Assad government’s use of missiles, artillery and barrel bombs, which contain hundreds of pounds of explosives and shrapnel, against civilians as a violation of “basic human rights principles.” The London 11 nations are the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. |
| Despite their outrage, however, neither the Obama administration nor its partners announced new steps to push the Assad government to allow the delivery of aid or stop its attacks, beyond holding more meetings. | Despite their outrage, however, neither the Obama administration nor its partners announced new steps to push the Assad government to allow the delivery of aid or stop its attacks, beyond holding more meetings. |
| In recent weeks, Mr. Kerry has said that the Obama administration has been considering “options” to increase the pressure on the Assad government if it is intransigent but has not said what they are. | In recent weeks, Mr. Kerry has said that the Obama administration has been considering “options” to increase the pressure on the Assad government if it is intransigent but has not said what they are. |
| Ms. Amos of the United Nations is planning to hold a meeting in Rome on Monday on the aid crisis. And several nations have been discussing the adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution, which would probably be nonbinding, to call for the aid blockade to be lifted. | Ms. Amos of the United Nations is planning to hold a meeting in Rome on Monday on the aid crisis. And several nations have been discussing the adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution, which would probably be nonbinding, to call for the aid blockade to be lifted. |
| The deliberations over such a resolution might place Russia, the Syrian government’s staunchest ally on the Security Council, in the uncomfortable position of having to choose whether to veto the measure or back up its previous statements on the importance of providing aid. | The deliberations over such a resolution might place Russia, the Syrian government’s staunchest ally on the Security Council, in the uncomfortable position of having to choose whether to veto the measure or back up its previous statements on the importance of providing aid. |
| Mr. Kerry met with Mr. Lavrov on Friday night in Munich to discuss the besieged areas and ask Russia to press the Assad government to follow through on the agreement to eliminate its chemical weapons arsenal. | Mr. Kerry met with Mr. Lavrov on Friday night in Munich to discuss the besieged areas and ask Russia to press the Assad government to follow through on the agreement to eliminate its chemical weapons arsenal. |
| In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Obama portrayed the agreement to eliminate Syria’s arsenal of poison gas as an unqualified success. | In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Obama portrayed the agreement to eliminate Syria’s arsenal of poison gas as an unqualified success. |
| “American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated,” Mr. Obama said then. But on Thursday, American officials said that only 4 percent of Syria’s most dangerous chemical agents and precursor chemicals had been taken to Latakia to be shipped for destruction. | “American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated,” Mr. Obama said then. But on Thursday, American officials said that only 4 percent of Syria’s most dangerous chemical agents and precursor chemicals had been taken to Latakia to be shipped for destruction. |
| “There is a credibility issue for the Syrian government,” the senior United States official said, “with respect to chemical weapons and whether or not it would implement any deal that was ever reached here in Geneva, if we do get to a deal.” | “There is a credibility issue for the Syrian government,” the senior United States official said, “with respect to chemical weapons and whether or not it would implement any deal that was ever reached here in Geneva, if we do get to a deal.” |
| Nothing that occurred during the first week of talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and the opposition suggested any progress had been made toward a political compromise or action that could alleviate the suffering inflicted by the nearly three-year-old civil war. | Nothing that occurred during the first week of talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and the opposition suggested any progress had been made toward a political compromise or action that could alleviate the suffering inflicted by the nearly three-year-old civil war. |
| “We haven’t made any progress to speak of,” said the United Nations mediator, Lakhdar Brahimi, after a final round of talks with both delegations. “The gaps between the sides remain wide; there is no use pretending otherwise.” | “We haven’t made any progress to speak of,” said the United Nations mediator, Lakhdar Brahimi, after a final round of talks with both delegations. “The gaps between the sides remain wide; there is no use pretending otherwise.” |
| Mr. Brahimi said he had proposed that the talks reconvene in Geneva on Feb. 10, but left some doubt whether the Syrian government had accepted. | Mr. Brahimi said he had proposed that the talks reconvene in Geneva on Feb. 10, but left some doubt whether the Syrian government had accepted. |
| “They didn’t tell me that they are thinking of not coming,” he said. “On the contrary, they said that they would come, but they needed to check with their capital.” | “They didn’t tell me that they are thinking of not coming,” he said. “On the contrary, they said that they would come, but they needed to check with their capital.” |
| That ambiguous outcome was as close to a tangible result as Mr. Brahimi could identify after sometimes-acrimonious talks that began in the lakeside town of Montreux, Switzerland, with a government denunciation of the opposition as terrorists. | That ambiguous outcome was as close to a tangible result as Mr. Brahimi could identify after sometimes-acrimonious talks that began in the lakeside town of Montreux, Switzerland, with a government denunciation of the opposition as terrorists. |
| The final day of talks was punctuated by a volley of hostile comment from both sides, while pro-government demonstrators gathered below the canopy of a giant Syrian flag outside the United Nations offices where the meetings were held. | The final day of talks was punctuated by a volley of hostile comment from both sides, while pro-government demonstrators gathered below the canopy of a giant Syrian flag outside the United Nations offices where the meetings were held. |
| The Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, speaking to reporters soon afterward, did not rule out returning for another round, but he said Mr. Assad would decide after hearing the delegation’s report and discussing the matter with his cabinet. | The Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, speaking to reporters soon afterward, did not rule out returning for another round, but he said Mr. Assad would decide after hearing the delegation’s report and discussing the matter with his cabinet. |
| The opposition delegation’s spokesman, Louay Safi, said the peace talks could progress only if the government negotiated the formation of a transitional governing body. | The opposition delegation’s spokesman, Louay Safi, said the peace talks could progress only if the government negotiated the formation of a transitional governing body. |
| But Mr. Assad’s side “does not want a political solution,” he said, accusing the government forces of deadly assaults on civilians, including the dropping of 60 barrel bombs in the past six days. | But Mr. Assad’s side “does not want a political solution,” he said, accusing the government forces of deadly assaults on civilians, including the dropping of 60 barrel bombs in the past six days. |