Secretary of State John Kerry is hailing the decision by the main Syrian opposition group to attend peace talks in Geneva, even as that same group is balking at participating and accusing Russia of endangering the talks over its refusal to stop its bombing campaign in the country.
Kerry, speaking in Italy after attending at ministerial summit of a countries involved in the coalition to fight the Islamic State, praised all the parties — including the Syrian rebels, the Assad regime, Russia and Iran — for attending the Geneva talks aimed at establishing a cease-fire and political transition. But he admitted that major differences remain, including the future of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and his hold on power.
Reporters pressed Kerry on why the Syrian opposition should participate in the talks when Russia continues to bomb them in apparent violation of United Nations security resolutions. Kerry said the discussions are only very preliminary, considered “proximity talks,” because they’re not taking place face to face between opposition leaders but instead in brokered meetings in separate rooms.
“With respect to the question of Russia bombing while they’re sitting at the table, we are all extraordinarily sympathetic to the limits of propriety and common sense in the opposition sitting at a table while somebody continues to bomb you,” Kerry acknowledged.
He then appeared to make an excuse for Russia to continue the bombing, by pointing out that the agreement in the United Nations and in previous talks in Vienna is that a cease-fire would only begin with the start of a real political dialogue.
“So the hope — the expectation, not a hope — the expectation is that it shouldn’t take long and we’re not requiring people to sit at the table or asking them to sit at the table for months. That would be crazy,” he said. “This is a matter of now, beginning the talks, we’re at the table, and we expect a cease-fire, and we expect adherence to the cease-fire … and full humanitarian access.”
He said he has talked to Russian and Iranian officials, who both told him they are prepared to have a cease-fire.
“So my hope is that the work we have done in leading up to this now can quickly come to fruition now that the opposition is at the table and engaged,” he said. “…And a cease-fire should be doable, folks. I mean Russians can control the Russian plans.”
Kerry made the statements after the High Negotiation Committee, the main Syrian opposition group that traveled to Geneva, said Russia’s continued bombing was jeopardizing their participation in the discussions.
The opposition group has yet to determine whether it will attend a meeting with the U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura later Tuesday because of Russia’s actions.
“It is clear from the current situation that the regime and its allies, in particular Russia, are determined to reject the U.N.’s efforts to implement international law,” Fara Atassi, an opposition leader, said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
“The regime’s and Russia’s actions gravely threaten the political process at this early stage,” he said. “We need the international community to take immediate, serious and clear steps to ensure the credibility of this process.”
State Department spokesman John Kirby later Tuesday tried to clarify Kerry’s remarks and say that the U.S. believes Russia should already be abiding by a cease-fire.
“The [U.N.] resolution is clear that it has to happen immediately and that immediately and that we want it — that obviously, we want a cease-fire in place now,” he said. “We want one in place yesterday if we could’ve gotten it.”
“That’s our expectation — that we can get to cease-fire immediately, and certainly, you know, if not right now, very, very soon,” he said. “That’s what he’s trying to do. That’s one of the reasons why it’s important to continue the political track.”
