(New York Times) Anne Barnard and Somini Sengupta - American support for a pair of diplomatic initiatives in Syria underscores the West's quiet retreat from its demand that President Bashar al-Assad step down immediately. Facing military stalemate, well-armed jihadists and the world's worst humanitarian crisis, the U.S. is going along with international diplomatic efforts that could lead to more gradual change in Syria. One new concept is a UN proposal to "freeze" the fighting on the ground, first in the city of Aleppo. Another is an initiative from Russia to try to spur talks between the warring sides in Moscow in late January.
2015-01-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive