Verbal Attacks Between Syrian Government Representatives and Opponents at the End of Peace Talks

Reports indicate that the fifth round of Syrian peace talks with the presence of government and opposition representatives in Geneva ended without results on Friday. According to Reuters, representatives of the Syrian government and opposition engaged in verbal attacks against each other at the conclusion of eight days of negotiations in Geneva. In this round of talks, the two sides did not negotiate directly face-to-face; rather, the UN representative acted as a mediator to convey the viewpoints of both parties. Nasr al-Hariri, head of the opposition delegation, stated at a press conference at the end of the negotiations that the terrorist regime of Bashar al-Assad was not willing to discuss the transfer of political power. Bashar al-Assad is a criminal, and to establish peace in Syria, he must step down from power. He further stated that the Syrian government representatives only spoke about empty slogans of fighting terrorism during the negotiations. The head of the opposition delegation emphasized that war criminals and those who have committed crimes against humanity should not be negotiating for peace. On the other hand, the Syrian government delegation accused the opposition of sabotaging the negotiations. Bashar al-Jaafari, head of the Syrian negotiating team, referred to the opposition groups as 'a bunch of mercenaries.' Meanwhile, Stefan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, stated at the end of the negotiations that despite the statements from both sides at the final press conference, they behaved very differently during the talks and agreed to participate in the next round of negotiations. De Mistura explicitly mentioned that in reality, there are many challenges ahead, and these challenges are evident, but no one left the negotiations because of them. This round of Syrian peace talks began last week in Geneva. Last week, during these negotiations, Stefan de Mistura sent a letter to the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Iran, urging them to work towards maintaining a ceasefire in Syria. As these Syrian peace talks concluded on Friday, US officials announced that Washington no longer emphasizes the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power but is seeking a way to end the Syrian civil war. Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, stated the day before, 'I think... it is the Syrian people who will decide the long-term position of Bashar al-Assad.' Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, also stated, 'Our priority is no longer to focus on the departure of Bashar al-Assad.' The civil war in Syria has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions over the past six years.