Syria Talks Marked by Saudi-Iranian Tension / VIENNA WATCH
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| After a series of informal meetings yesterday, official talks on the Syrian civil war began today in Vienna. Seventeen countries, the European Union, and the United Nations are participating in the discussions, but representatives from the Assad regime and Syrian opposition were not invited. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was “hopeful” the talks could reach a breakthrough, but noted that “it is very difficult.” Experts are concerned that the talks could be derailed by animosity between the Saudi and Iranian delegations; it is the first time Iran has been invited to participate in international talks on Syria. “If they’re not serious, we will also know and stop wasting time with them,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said this week. The need for a resolution to the war was underscored by reports this morning that Syrian government forces had fired a dozen missiles into a marketplace in Douma, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 100 others. |