UN discuss on peace process for Syria

U.N. Security Council members unanimously
approved a U.N. resolution Friday endorsing a
peace process for Syria including a cease-fire and
talks between the Damascus government and the
opposition, but the draft makes no mention of the
most contentious issue — the future role of Syrian
President Bashar Assad.
The resolution makes clear that the blueprint it
endorses will not end the conflict, deep into its
fifth year with well over 300,000 killed, because
"terrorist groups," including the Islamic State
group and the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front, are
not part of the cease-fire.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry praised "the
unprecedented degree of unity" in the council,
which has been stymied in the past over a
political solution in Syria, and called the
resolution "a milestone."
Foreign ministers from 17 countries met for more
than five hours on how to implement their call in
Vienna last month for a cease-fire and the start
of negotiations between the government and
opposition in early January. At the same time,
diplomats worked to overcome divisions on the
text of the resolution.
The resulting agreement "gives the Syrian people
a real choice, not between Assad and Daesh, but
between war and peace," Kerry said, using the
Arabic acronym for the Islamic State extremists.
"We're under no illusions about the obstacles
that exist ... especially about the future of
President Assad" where "sharp differences"
remain, Kerry said.
He made clear that Assad must go if there is to
be peace in Syria, saying that "Assad has lost the
ability ... to unite the country."
But Kerry later told reporters that the United
States and the opposition had eventually realized
that demanding Assad's departure up front in the
process was "in fact, prolonging the war."
Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
and U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura made
clear that the previously envisioned Jan. 1 start
to peace talks was unlikely. De Mistura said
invitations to the talks will go out in January, at
least.
Kerry said a start to the talks in the middle or
end of the month would be more reasonable. "In
January, we expect to be at the table and
implement a full cease-fire," he said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council

that Syria was "in ruins," singling out besieged
areas where "thousands of people have been
forced to live on grass and weeds," which he
called "outrageous."
"This marks a very important step on which
we must build," Ban said of Friday's
resolution.