Syrian opposition sets new conditions on Geneva peace talks

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists across Syria, said the death toll had climbed to 25, with 15 of the casualties being security personnel.

Russian President’s Special Envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov said that Geneva 3 talks are Syrian-Syrian, affirming that the Syrians alone have to decide who would participate in.

“There is consensus in the High Committee on being positive in our decision (to accept)”, spokesman Salim al-Muslat told Arabiya News Channels’ al-Hadath. He says they have no place among the opposition at the Geneva talks.

But Muslim, co-leader of the Kurdish PYD party, told Reuters on Tuesday he had not been invited to the Geneva talks.

They also allege that Moscow and Damascus are simply going to stall over the talks while creating reality on the ground to their advantage.

In recent weeks government forces and their allies have also captured two strategic towns in the northwestern province of Latakia, where they are trying to seal the border to cut insurgent supply lines to Turkey.

The talks are expected to take six months and the sides will not talk directly to each other to begin with.

A further snag developed Sunday after reports from unnamed members of the opposition suggested that Secretary of State John Kerry had warned the Syrian opposition delegation during a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that the United States was reneging on its commitment to press for an outcome that would lead to Assad’s departure.

“De Mistura said it is for consultations and discussions…” “It is not acceptable for us for a terror organization to be included within the opposition”.

Independent Syrian dissident Jihad Makdissi said he would not attend the initial round of talks in order to help overcome differences over who should represent the opposition. But the opposition has been increasingly critical of United States policy.

“Don’t be surprised, there will be a lot of posturing – we know that – a lot of walkouts and walk-ins because a bomb has fallen, or because someone has done an attack”, he said.

De Mistura’s bid to convene the talks has already faced problems, including a dispute over who should represent the opposition. The Sunni Arab opposition say the Kurdish PYD party should be part of the government delegation.

His Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said Turkey would boycott the talks if the PYD were invited.

At a news conference, the top Russian diplomat said Moscow has not asked Assad to step down and has not offered him political asylum.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu earlier told ruling party lawmakers in parliament he was “categorically opposed” to either the PYD or YPG taking part in the talks.

Homs, which was once known as the “capital of the revolution”, is Syria’s third largest city and was one of the first to rise against the government in 2012.