UN moves on Syria talks

AS THE US accuses the Syrian regime of possibly preparing for another chemical attack against civilians – an accusation disputed by Syrian President Bashar al-Asaad and labelled by Syrian ally Russia as an excuse for military action – the UN is mapping out the course of action needed before the next round of intra-Syrian peace talks begins on July 10 in Geneva.

“We are at a time of testing whether the political will exists for real de-escalation and more meaningful political talks and move beyond preparatory talks,” Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria, told the Security Council from Geneva yesterday.