With an eighth round of UN-backed peace talks dragging on, the opposition is in a tight spot. “Most of the diplomats that have visited the delegation have repeated the same call,” an opposition delegate told AFP, requesting anonymity. Western envoys have argued that suspending the Assad demand would embarrass the government into entering substantive negotiations, according to the opposition. “There are growing numbers who are pressing for us to pursue this option, but the representatives of the military factions and some of the political representatives are absolutely opposed,” an opposition source told AFP. De Mistura wants “to start the conversation from somewhere else, to get us to agree on general principles and then go into details,” a second opposition source said.

Source: The Express Tribune December 07, 2017 11:15 UTC