BEIRUT: Syrian and American officials traded blame Sunday for the failure of last week’s round of Geneva II peace talks, which sought an end to a three-year conflict that has claimed more than 140,000 lives, according to the latest estimates by pro-opposition activists.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry blamed “obstruction” by the regime of President Bashar Assad for the breakdown in talks.
“None of us are surprised that the talks have been hard, and that we are at a difficult moment, but we should all agree that the Assad regime’s obstruction has made progress even tougher,” Kerry said.
In a statement, Kerry urged the regime’s supporters to press for the creation of a transitional government, warning they would bear the responsibility “if the regime continues with its intransigence in the talks and its brutal tactics on the ground.”