Replacement Syria envoy arrives for Assad talks
Reuters
2012-09-13
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The new U.N.-Arab League mediator arrives in Damascus on Thursday, his first trip to Syria since taking up his post.
Lakdhar Brahimi, a veteran Algerian diplomat, replaced U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan as international mediator on September 1.
His predecessor quit in frustration over "finger-point and name calling" among U.N. members while the Syrian death toll spiralled up.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, UN-ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY:
"There is a crisis, nobody can deny this. I think the crisis is increasing and I think that everybody agrees on the need to end the bloodshed and re-establishing agreement between the citizens."
Brahimi will meet President Bashar al-Assad -- someone Annan said had to quit office.
Expectations, including Brahimi's, are low as to what can be done to halt the near 18-months of violence that the Syrian opposition says has killed well over 20,000.
Brahimi himself described a diplomatic solution here as "nearly impossible".
Lakdhar Brahimi, a veteran Algerian diplomat, replaced U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan as international mediator on September 1.
His predecessor quit in frustration over "finger-point and name calling" among U.N. members while the Syrian death toll spiralled up.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, UN-ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY:
"There is a crisis, nobody can deny this. I think the crisis is increasing and I think that everybody agrees on the need to end the bloodshed and re-establishing agreement between the citizens."
Brahimi will meet President Bashar al-Assad -- someone Annan said had to quit office.
Expectations, including Brahimi's, are low as to what can be done to halt the near 18-months of violence that the Syrian opposition says has killed well over 20,000.
Brahimi himself described a diplomatic solution here as "nearly impossible".
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