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| Syrian Rebels Sketch Peace Plan That Omits Demand for Assad’s Ouster | Syrian Rebels Sketch Peace Plan That Omits Demand for Assad’s Ouster |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| GENEVA — The Syrian opposition coalition on Wednesday presented its most detailed vision yet of a political transition to end Syria’s conflict, in a 24-point plan that, strikingly, made no mention of President Bashar al-Assad or his ouster, while outlining strong requirements for human rights and justice in a future Syria. | GENEVA — The Syrian opposition coalition on Wednesday presented its most detailed vision yet of a political transition to end Syria’s conflict, in a 24-point plan that, strikingly, made no mention of President Bashar al-Assad or his ouster, while outlining strong requirements for human rights and justice in a future Syria. |
| The proposal, detailed in a document presented to the Syrian government’s delegation during peace talks here, marked a shift in tone for the opposition group, which has long insisted on Mr. Assad’s departure as the starting point for a political resolution to the conflict. | The proposal, detailed in a document presented to the Syrian government’s delegation during peace talks here, marked a shift in tone for the opposition group, which has long insisted on Mr. Assad’s departure as the starting point for a political resolution to the conflict. |
| The shift was bold yet risky, coming as the opposition delegation has managed for the first time to persuade several representatives of armed rebel groups to attend the Geneva talks. It carried the risk that the fighters, whose trust the exile opposition coalition seeks to gain, would feel betrayed by the omission of a demand for Mr. Assad’s ouster. | The shift was bold yet risky, coming as the opposition delegation has managed for the first time to persuade several representatives of armed rebel groups to attend the Geneva talks. It carried the risk that the fighters, whose trust the exile opposition coalition seeks to gain, would feel betrayed by the omission of a demand for Mr. Assad’s ouster. |
| Yet the opposition delegates here displayed little ambivalence about the move, sharing the document widely with journalists and Syrian organizations. | Yet the opposition delegates here displayed little ambivalence about the move, sharing the document widely with journalists and Syrian organizations. |
| The proposal calls for strong human rights guarantees and a transitional justice process to “hold accountable” those who have harmed Syrians, while explicitly rejecting wide purges of government employees and calling for the preservation of state institutions, including the army and security services. | The proposal calls for strong human rights guarantees and a transitional justice process to “hold accountable” those who have harmed Syrians, while explicitly rejecting wide purges of government employees and calling for the preservation of state institutions, including the army and security services. |
| Opposition members said they hoped the proposal would help ease the fears of Syrian fence-sitters — by signaling that Mr. Assad’s opponents want to avoid a state collapse like that in Iraq following the American-led invasion in 2003 — and warm relations with Russia, the Assad government’s strongest backer. Russia has long said it is not committed to Mr. Assad personally but rejects making his ouster a precondition for political transition. | Opposition members said they hoped the proposal would help ease the fears of Syrian fence-sitters — by signaling that Mr. Assad’s opponents want to avoid a state collapse like that in Iraq following the American-led invasion in 2003 — and warm relations with Russia, the Assad government’s strongest backer. Russia has long said it is not committed to Mr. Assad personally but rejects making his ouster a precondition for political transition. |
| “We would really like to open new channels with the Russians, and it is very important for us to meet with them,” said Abdulahad Astepho, a member of the opposition delegation, adding that the group hoped to meet with the Russian deputy foreign minister, Gennady Gatilov, after talks with the American undersecretary of state for political affairs, Wendy Sherman, on Friday. | “We would really like to open new channels with the Russians, and it is very important for us to meet with them,” said Abdulahad Astepho, a member of the opposition delegation, adding that the group hoped to meet with the Russian deputy foreign minister, Gennady Gatilov, after talks with the American undersecretary of state for political affairs, Wendy Sherman, on Friday. |
| In Wednesday’s face-to-face discussions, Syrian government and opposition delegations continued to talk past one another, raising the stakes of meetings that the two sides are scheduled to hold later in the week with senior Russian and American officials, in the hope that pressure from their sponsors can break the deadlock. | In Wednesday’s face-to-face discussions, Syrian government and opposition delegations continued to talk past one another, raising the stakes of meetings that the two sides are scheduled to hold later in the week with senior Russian and American officials, in the hope that pressure from their sponsors can break the deadlock. |
| The Russians and Americans are set to hold trilateral talks on Thursday with the United Nations mediator, Lakhdar Brahimi, who has said he wants “lots of outside help” to inject momentum into the talks. | The Russians and Americans are set to hold trilateral talks on Thursday with the United Nations mediator, Lakhdar Brahimi, who has said he wants “lots of outside help” to inject momentum into the talks. |
| Members of the opposition delegation said that the omission of Mr. Assad’s name was deliberate, continuing a strategy of presenting their side as more willing than the government to be flexible and adhere to the agenda of the meeting, which is based on the June 2012 Geneva I communiqué. That document does not call for Mr. Assad to step down, but requires the establishment of a transitional governing body “by mutual consent.” | Members of the opposition delegation said that the omission of Mr. Assad’s name was deliberate, continuing a strategy of presenting their side as more willing than the government to be flexible and adhere to the agenda of the meeting, which is based on the June 2012 Geneva I communiqué. That document does not call for Mr. Assad to step down, but requires the establishment of a transitional governing body “by mutual consent.” |
| The government delegation did not respond to the opposition proposal, which also called for an end to all violence, the eviction of foreign fighters from Syria regardless of which side they support, and the dismantling of fighting groups and the integration of members into civilian life or the security services. It also proposed the election of a constituent assembly through a United Nations-supervised ballot, the approval of a constitution via a referendum, and then presidential elections. | The government delegation did not respond to the opposition proposal, which also called for an end to all violence, the eviction of foreign fighters from Syria regardless of which side they support, and the dismantling of fighting groups and the integration of members into civilian life or the security services. It also proposed the election of a constituent assembly through a United Nations-supervised ballot, the approval of a constitution via a referendum, and then presidential elections. |
| “At this point we have not heard anything from the other party,” Louay Safi, an opposition spokesman, said after the meeting. | “At this point we have not heard anything from the other party,” Louay Safi, an opposition spokesman, said after the meeting. |
| The Syrian deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, speaking minutes later, said that the opposition had “misused” the meeting by diverting attention from the need to combat terrorism, which the government insists should be addressed first, sticking religiously to a line that the government delegation has pushed since it first arrived in Geneva. | The Syrian deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, speaking minutes later, said that the opposition had “misused” the meeting by diverting attention from the need to combat terrorism, which the government insists should be addressed first, sticking religiously to a line that the government delegation has pushed since it first arrived in Geneva. |
| The opposition has said it was willing to discuss ending violence and terrorism alongside the topic of forming a transitional governing body. But Mr. Mekdad said parallel-track talks were “a delusional proposal” and “a recipe to kill the Geneva talks.” | The opposition has said it was willing to discuss ending violence and terrorism alongside the topic of forming a transitional governing body. But Mr. Mekdad said parallel-track talks were “a delusional proposal” and “a recipe to kill the Geneva talks.” |
| Instead, the government presented a paper that listed killings and atrocities it said were committed by the insurgents, which opposition members said included attacks for which they blame pro-government forces. Mr. Mekdad said the paper was a retort to “the lies of the coalition.” | Instead, the government presented a paper that listed killings and atrocities it said were committed by the insurgents, which opposition members said included attacks for which they blame pro-government forces. Mr. Mekdad said the paper was a retort to “the lies of the coalition.” |
| The parties emerged with no new progress on the last day of a temporary pause in fighting in the Syrian city of Homs, where United Nations workers were trying on Wednesday to evacuate additional civilians from neighborhoods long blockaded by the government. | |
| But there was no further word on the fate of more than 300 men who were detained by the government. The men were among about 800 people evacuated from the blocked areas in recent days. | |
| President Obama said on Wednesday that Secretary of State John Kerry had already delivered “a very strong message” to Russia to drop its opposition to a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for more so-called humanitarian pauses and an end to sieges, and that threatens nonmilitary sanctions against any party obstructing aid deliveries. | President Obama said on Wednesday that Secretary of State John Kerry had already delivered “a very strong message” to Russia to drop its opposition to a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for more so-called humanitarian pauses and an end to sieges, and that threatens nonmilitary sanctions against any party obstructing aid deliveries. |
| That resolution, criticized by the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, as one-sided and “detached from reality,” faces a Russian veto. | That resolution, criticized by the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, as one-sided and “detached from reality,” faces a Russian veto. |
| But on Wednesday, Security Council diplomats said Russia suggested that it could consider a differently worded resolution on humanitarian aid. Russia has yet to propose language, but a Russian official was sent to attend a session on the wording late Tuesday. | But on Wednesday, Security Council diplomats said Russia suggested that it could consider a differently worded resolution on humanitarian aid. Russia has yet to propose language, but a Russian official was sent to attend a session on the wording late Tuesday. |
| The United Nations’ chief aid coordinator, Valerie Amos, is scheduled to report to the Security Council on Thursday and is expected to call for more pressure on both government forces and rebels to stop blocking aid deliveries. | The United Nations’ chief aid coordinator, Valerie Amos, is scheduled to report to the Security Council on Thursday and is expected to call for more pressure on both government forces and rebels to stop blocking aid deliveries. |