Syrian Regime Hits Aleppo’s Rebel-Held Areas

Ben Hubbard of the New York Times reports on post-Geneva air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo, which killed at least 36 people this weekend.

“The bombs were dropped across neighborhoods in the south and east of the country’s largest city, reducing cinder-block apartment buildings to rubble and leaving crowds of men searching the debris for survivors, according to videos posted online,” he writes.

“Rebels have pointed to days of heavy bombing in Aleppo, which is in the north of Syria, to argue that the government of President Bashar al-Assad has no interest in reaching a negotiated end to the civil war despite its participation in internationally backed peace talks with exile political opposition. The first round concluded in Geneva on Friday.

“The government has not commented on the airstrikes other than to mention in the state news media that its forces have killed ‘terrorists,’ a blanket term for the opposition. Though Mr. Assad’s government has solidified its hold on the capital, Damascus, and much of the country’s center, its forces have failed to dislodge rebels who took over parts of Aleppo more than a year ago.”

Peace Talks Are A ‘Modest Beginning’

Al Jazeera reports on comments made by Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. Arab league envoy to Syria, who said that talks between Syria’s government and opposition, while making limited concrete progress, raised hopes.

“‘I think there are some elements that can offer a beginning, ground to stand on,’ Brahimi told reporters after a week of closed-door negotiations wrapped up in Geneva. Brahimi said he saw some positive steps and common ground but the gaps between the sides ‘remain wide.’

“‘Progress is very slow indeed, but the sides have engaged in an acceptable manner,’ Brahimi said. ‘This is a very modest beginning, but it is a beginning on which we can build.’

“Brahimi said: ‘For all the Syrians trapped in this war, our work here will seem far too slow. But we are trying to overcome the very difficult issues that have led to this war, and this unfortunately takes time.’ One of the most contentious issues of the weeklong negotiations has been the issue of a transitional government, a key element of the Geneva II discussions. The Syrian opposition says that President Bashar al-Assad must leave power, while the government says his role is not up for debate.

“Syria’s opposition spokesman, Louay Safi, told Al Jazeera: ‘There is no way there could be progress without establishing a governing transitional body with authority to deal with political and military matters.’”

White House to ‘Make Sure’ Syria Gives Up Chemical Arms

Adam Entous of the Wall Street Journal reports that the White House has vowed to “make sure” the Assad regime complies with an accord to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal, despite delays and missed deadlines.

“’It’s not falling apart, but we would like to see it proceed much more quickly than it is,’ White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told CBS’s ‘Face the Nation.’ Mr. McDonough said the U.S. isn’t dependent on Russia to bring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime into compliance. Moscow is the regime’s main arms supplier and key international backer.

“’We’re going to make sure that the Syrians live up to their obligations. They have an obligation to the international community to do exactly what they said they’d do,’ Mr. McDonough said. Secretary of State John Kerry has raised U.S. concerns about the Assad regime’s conduct with international counterparts during a trip to Europe this weekend.

“Just four percent of Syria’s 530 metric tons of most-dangerous chemicals have been removed so far, despite a Dec. 31, 2013, deadline for removing all of them.”

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team:

Reuters: Barrel Bomb Offensive on Aleppo Kills Dozens

Al Monitor: Syrian Opposition Cites ‘Momentum’ After Geneva Talks

NBC: Starvation, Deaths Plague Syria Camp

The Lancet: Polio in Syria