Diplomats agree on timetable of speeding up peace process in Syria

“We are witnessing a kind of medieval and modern fascism at the same time, which has no regard for life, which seeks to destroy and create chaos, disorder and fear”, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov before the peace talks began.

The summit comes a day after diplomats meeting in Vienna agreed on a timeline for a political transition in Syria, with a January 1 date for the start of talks between Assad’s government and the opposition.

Still, Ossi said he didn’t expect much from the Vienna meeting “because terrorist groups and a few regional states” have no interest in launching a political process in Syria as they are still “betting on the issue of toppling the Syrian regime by the military force”.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Saturday that his country would continue to support Syrian rebels if President Bashar Al-Assad could not be removed through a political process.

“The ceasefire would not apply to offensive or defensive actions against Daesh or Nusra or any other group the ISSG agrees to deem terrorist”, the statement said. Because Assad is a member of a minority sect of Islam known as Alawites and the Shiite theocracy of Iran is one of his chief supporters, the radical Sunni Islamic State is able to frame the war in Syria in sectarian terms and convince potential supporters they are playing a key role in a battle for Islam’s future.

The Post observes that “sympathy to the bereaved people and government of France” came from Hassan Rouhani, president of Assad’s patron Iran, without reservation. There is still plenty left to disagree about, however, particularly since the peace process is supposed include opposition groups and exclude terrorist groups, as would the cease-fire.

Outside the talks, a group of Syrian refugees showed their support for ending the war, and spoke of their solidarity with the people of Paris after the horrors of 13 November.

“We said, don´t take what is happening in Syria lightly. We still differ obviously on the issue of what happens to Bashar Assad”, said Kerry. Assad’s allies have conveyed that he’s prepared to be serious and engage in talks, but the “proof will be in the pudding”, he said. “They are not allowed to say what should be changed in Syria in the structure and techniques”, he said.

“I want to make sure that it is absolutely crystal clear that the United States stands with France and the rest of the world in our resolve to eliminate the scourge of violent extremist groups from the face of the earth”, Kerry said.

It is also part of a US-led coalition conducting an air war against IS in both Syria and Iraq.

The Vienna participants are to meet in Paris before the end of the year to review progress toward a ceasefire and the selection of delegations for the Syrian talks.

More than 250,000 people have been killed in the Syria conflict since March 2011.

France launched air strikes against Islamic State in Syria in September, saying it wanted to prevent the group from carrying out attacks against French interests and protect Syrian civilians. Europe and Syria’s neighbors, meanwhile, are struggling to cope with the worst migrant crisis since World War II.