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Executive Summary for October 14th

To give you an overview of the latest news, we’ve organized the latest Syrian developments in a curated summary. .

Published on Oct. 14, 2013 Read time Approx. 3 minutes

Brahimi Pushes for Geneva II, Kerry Calls for Political Transition. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi are pushing for a firm date on Geneva II, the Syrian peace talks world leaders hope to convene by mid-November.

He also said that Syrian President Bashar Assad “has lost the legitimacy to be able to be a cohesive force that could bring people together.”

“There can be, there will be, a political solution if everyone gets together and works for it,” Brahimi said. “Very soon we have to set a precise date.”

Their challenge is at least twofold: first, getting the regime and opposition leaders in exile to sit at the table, second, getting the fighting forces on the ground to respect a political solution. This weekend a key opposition party rejected Geneva II peace talks, saying they wouldn’t negotiate with an Assad regime that was pounding and starving rebel-held areas. Last month powerful Islamist fighting forces rejected the Syrian National Coalition, the umbrella group that has been the seat of Western hopes for a moderate, civilian-led Syrian opposition.

OPCW Pleads for Cease-fires. The head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which has been tasked with leading the mission to eliminate President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons supply, called for short-term cease-fires in the areas where his inspectors are working. In an interview with the BBC, Director General Ahmet Üzümcü said fighting is preventing access to some chemical sites that involve passing through rebel-held areas.

“They change hands from one day to another…we appeal to all sides in Syria to support this mission, to be co-operative and not render this mission more difficult. It’s already challenging,’ he said.

It’s the first time the organization has ever been deployed in an active war zone. The OPCW won the Nobel Peace Prize last week for its work.

Red Cross Workers Kidnapped. Unknown armed assailants stopped a convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Sunday morning, kidnapping six ICRC staffers and a volunteer from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

“The team had travelled to Idlib on 10 October to assess the medical situation in several Idlib Governorate health structures and to deliver medical supplies to Sarmin and Idlib city,” said the ICRC in a statement. “The convoy, which was on its way back to Damascus, was clearly marked with the ICRC emblem, which is not a religious symbol.”

Syria has seen a kidnapping spree that has escalated over the course of the war – often with ransom as the primary motive (we’ve covered how kidnapping is now a big- money business).The country has been rife with risks to aid workers who struggle to deliver humanitarian care to Syrian civilians. The Daily Star reported that more than 30 aid workers have lost their lives to the conflict in Syria, making it one of the top danger zones for humanitarian aid. The Red Cross has called for the immediate release of its staff but says it will continue to conduct operations in Syria and neighboring countries.

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team:  

NY Times: In Rare Ceasefire, Hundreds Evacuate Rebel-Held Syrian Town

Al Jazeera: Deadly Car Bombing in Idlib Province

Reuters: Syrian Rebels Say They Shot a Warplane Near Jordan Border

RTE: Syria Officially Joins Chemical Weapons Convention

The National: Syrians Soccer Team Hopes to Provide Distraction From War

Washington Post: Rival al-Qaeda-Linked Groups Fortifying in Syria, with Pragmatism and Militancy

Business Insider: The Harsh Truth of Syria in One Surreal Picture

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