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| Syrian peace talks resume acrimoniously as Assad regime alleges massacre in Hama | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BEIRUT — A second round of Syrian peace talks started acrimoniously on Monday as the two sides traded accusations over disruptions to humanitarian operations in the city of Homs and the Syrian government alleged mass killings in nearby Hama. | |
| The government accused Islamist rebel battalions of a “massacre” in a village in central Hama province, making for a tense beginning to negotiations in Geneva. | The government accused Islamist rebel battalions of a “massacre” in a village in central Hama province, making for a tense beginning to negotiations in Geneva. |
| Meanwhile, aid operations in Homs, planned as a confidence-building measure between the government and opposition in initial talks last month, have been plagued by violence, with both sides blaming each other for violations in a supposed cease-fire. | |
| The shelling and gunfire targeting humanitarian workers attempting to reach rebel-held areas of Homs is a reminder of the complexities of reaching even the smallest concessions in a civil war where developments on the ground have consistently outpaced diplomacy. Battle lines are constantly shifting, with the al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and Syria withdrawing from its bases in oil-rich Deir Ezzor on Monday after rebel infighting. | |
| The two sides did not meet in Geneva on Monday, with U.N. mediator Lakhdar Brahimi instead holding separate sessions with each delegation. With tensions high, there are no plans for the two sides to sit in the same room Tuesday either. | |
| Opposition spokesman Louay al-Safi squarely charged the government with attacks on aid workers in Homs and the deaths of at least three civilians. | Opposition spokesman Louay al-Safi squarely charged the government with attacks on aid workers in Homs and the deaths of at least three civilians. |
| “The negotiations cannot continue while the regime is stepping up its violence against the Syrian people,” he told reporters after his meeting with Brahimi. | |
| The government meanwhile blamed “terrorists” for the disruption. | The government meanwhile blamed “terrorists” for the disruption. |
| “How can we shoot at ourselves?” said Syrian deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad. “This is ridiculous.” | “How can we shoot at ourselves?” said Syrian deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad. “This is ridiculous.” |
| Still, the supposed cease-fire was extended for three more days on Monday and more than 460 civilians were evacuated, according to Syrian officials, bringing the total evacuated since Friday to more than 1,000. | |
| There are disagreements over the agenda of the Geneva meeting, with the Syrian government insisting that talks focus on ending terrorism, while the opposition is eager to move onto the core issue of political transition. Issues including prisoner exchange and humanitarian access are likely to be discussed on the side lines, diplomats said. | There are disagreements over the agenda of the Geneva meeting, with the Syrian government insisting that talks focus on ending terrorism, while the opposition is eager to move onto the core issue of political transition. Issues including prisoner exchange and humanitarian access are likely to be discussed on the side lines, diplomats said. |
| “If terrorism does not stop in Syria, it will spread to neighboring countries and all the countries of the world,” Mekdad told reporters in Geneva on Monday. “This is the main menace to peace in Syria.” | “If terrorism does not stop in Syria, it will spread to neighboring countries and all the countries of the world,” Mekdad told reporters in Geneva on Monday. “This is the main menace to peace in Syria.” |
| Syria said it had submitted to the United Nations a draft statement condemning killings in the pro-government village of Maan in Hama, largely home to Alawites, members of the same sect as President Bashar al-Assad. It requested an “immediate and very clear condemnation” from Brahimi. | |
| Syrian state news agency SANA said the dead included 42 women and children. | Syrian state news agency SANA said the dead included 42 women and children. |
| Islamist brigades Ahrar al Sham and Jund al-Aqsar were among rebel groups that claimed to have “liberated” the village. Videos posted online showed rebels pulling down the state flag. One showed a slain man in military fatigues. | Islamist brigades Ahrar al Sham and Jund al-Aqsar were among rebel groups that claimed to have “liberated” the village. Videos posted online showed rebels pulling down the state flag. One showed a slain man in military fatigues. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 25 people were killed, mostly fighters with the National Defense Force, a pro-government paramilitary group. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 25 people were killed, mostly fighters with the National Defense Force, a pro-government paramilitary group. |
| Western diplomats are pressing for more rebel groups to engage with the Geneva process, amid questions about the point of talks with an external opposition that has little power over the fighters within Syria. | Western diplomats are pressing for more rebel groups to engage with the Geneva process, amid questions about the point of talks with an external opposition that has little power over the fighters within Syria. |
| Rebels are also wracked by their own infighting as they attempt to oust fighters from ISIS, which even al-Qaeda has disowned. | |
| Al-Qaeda’s local affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra is among the rebel groups that ousted ISIS from Deir Ezzor, an indication of ISIS’s growing isolation. In a statement on Sunday, ISIS accused Nusra of having “stepped away from the road of the righteous.” The Syrian Observatory said ISIS had pulled out after Nusra refused its requests for mediation. | |
| Ahmed Ramadan in Beirut contributed to this report. |